Shot on 3 March 1945: Indian infantry of a battalion of the Frontier Force (probably 9th Battalion 13th Frontier Force Rifles) advancing towards the village of Nagthayauk; they run across open ground at the double. The men pass a Sherman medium tank of 255th Indian Tank Brigade. The infantry enter the village.

Shot on 4 March 1945: A United States Army Air Force (USAAF) CG-4 Waco glider seen on an airstrip, probably at Thabutkon 12 miles from Meiktila. The glider is numbered 23 on the nose and is towed away by a jeep. A USAAF Douglas Dakota transport aircraft, marked with an '!' (exclamation mark) on its tail, denoting the 2nd Air Commando Group, passes camera. A second USAAF Dakota passes; it has forward leaning white stripes on its rear fuselage denoting 1st Air Commando Group. A group of Gurkha infantry, probably of 1st Battalion 3rd Gurkha Rifles (99th Brigade, 17th Indian Division) stand by the rear doors of a Dakota. The Dakota is unloaded and a number of US airmen are present.

Shot on 5 March 1945: on open rolling scrubland Sherman tanks of 255th Indian Tank Brigade drive on Meiktila and many of them have Indian infantry riding aboard. One tank is seen to be named 'Jagraon' (a district in the Punjab). Tanks seen raising clouds of dust. A tank named 'Anglesey' passes camera at speed. More tanks pass camera; a tank named 'Cathedral' is followed by another apparently named 'Coriander' with more behind. A tank seen driving slowly with thick smoke rising in the middle distance. More tanks pass; 'Bluebeard' is followed by 'Bob', 'Bardolph' and 'Bluelight'. Tanks driving away from camera. 'Cairn Hill' passes. 'Bidar' (a district in Mysore) passes. A tank drives slowly across shot; its turret is traversed to the left (presumably towards the enemy) and infantry walk in its lee alongside. Parked tanks with infantry.

Shot 6 March 1945: series of views of an Indian field artillery regiment in action, probably 1st Indian Field Regiment, Indian Artillery, part of 17th Indian Division. Views of Ordnance ML 3-inch mortars (operated by 82nd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, also part of 17th Indian Division) sited amongst Buddhist pagodas. Indian infantry patrolling into Meiktila. Soldiers walk through buildings which are seen to be blackened by smoke and show marks from shrapnel. A railway sign reads 'Meiktila'. View of abandoned rolling stock with smoke. Indian troops of 6th Battalion 9th Jat Regiment on the march on Meiktila's outskirts.

As IV Corps drives towards Meiktila in central Burma infantry clear villages, more men and supplies are flown in, Sherman tanks drive towards the town and artillery and mortars provide support.

Notes

After crossing the River Irrawaddy 17th Indian Division made a fast drive, spearheaded by armour, in the direction of Meiktila in order to seize a number of strategic airfields and deny a key communications node to the Japanese. Meiktila was seized on 5 March 1945 and prompted a series of furious counterattacks throughout March. The loss of Meiktila was a critical blow and made much of the Japanese Army's position in central and northern Burma untenable.

Remarks; tank names: it was common British practice to name tanks using their squadron's letter as the initial, hence the procession of 'B' names above. These British names would suggest 116th Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps (Gordon Highlanders). The Indian names suggest either 5th (Probyn's) Horse or 9th (Royal Deccan) Horse, which were both equipped with Shermans and part of 255th Indian Tank Brigade.

A very useful film which illustrates not only the armoured drive on Meiktila, but also the dry and dusty 'tankable' terrain of central Burma, the use of (in this case American) air mobility, and the village and pagodas provide a glimpse of typical sights of the campaign. For further footage of the drive on Meiktila, shot by a British Army cameraman, see related items.