Lady Edwina Mountbatten, wife of Lord Louis Mountbatten (Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia Command) visits hospitals and medical facilities in Hyderabad and Bombay (Mumbai), India.

An RAF Douglas Dakota transport aircraft, serial FL510 'Sister Ann' approaches camera. Lady Mountbatten steps down and is greeted by Arthur Lothian, British Resident Minister of Hyderabad, and Major-General Rankin (Deputy Director of Medical Services, Southern Command, India). Lady Mountbatten leaving the aerodrome. The crew of the Dakota pose by their aircraft. Close-up of the name 'Sister Ann' and the 'Phoenix' insignia of the Supreme Allied Commander on the aircraft's nose. Lady Mountbatten gets out of her staff car and enters a hospital. The group poses on the hospital steps before leaving to visit another hospital. Lady Mountbatten arrives at a second hospital and meets patients. Close-up of a patient with photographs of his two children hanging above his bed. Lady Mountbatten meets more patients. Close-up of a patient knitting. Lady Mountbatten meets Indian patients wearing striped hospital pajamas. Nurses wave as Lady Mountbatten's car leaves the nurses' quarters. At a convalescent centre Lady Mountbatten looks at items of kit including a patient's boot. Convalescent patients play basketball. Interior canteen; a man paints a decorative mural on a wall. At another hospital Lady Mountabatten arrives and walks through the grounds before meeting British patients. She meets the matron. She talks to Major-General Rankin. At another hospital Lady Mountbatten examines knitting work done by the patients. She talks to a patient. She visits another hospital and is received. She speaks to an Indian patient (an officer). Shot of a ceiling fan, consisting of large (canvas?) panels that sway back and forth on a pulley system. Meeting patients. A patient doing embroidery. Meeting nurses; some of them are in uniform and others in civilian dress. Mountbatten signs her name on a corner of a large piece of cloth. She signs an autograph for an Indian nurse. She poses for a group photo. Interior hospital ward; she meets Indian patients in pajamas. She visits a Women's Voluntary Service centre. At RAF Secunderabad she meets Group Captain Park. She boards 'Sister Ann'. Aircraft airborne. At Bombay she arrives at an Indian Military Hospital. (Cumballa Hill?). She meets Indian Red Cross staff at their quarters at the Prince of Wales Museum. A convoy of ambulances; one is marked 'Donated by Habib and Sons'. She is received by Admiral Bevir, senior officer Royal Navy Establishments India. Bevir speaking. Mountbatten addressing naval officers. Speaking with Indian women. A group of British and Indian nurses. Mountbatten addressing a group with American officers amongst them. Meeting staff at Colaba military hospital. Interior shots. Mountbatten leaving a building and descending stairs (with Sir John and Lady Colville?). She gives an address. Views of her audience of nurses. Party at Government House. Chatting with a woman of the American Red Cross. Sir John Colville with Indian Red Cross workers.

Notes

While the often short shots of this film make it difficult to keep track of the rapidly changing locations, this is still a worthwhile record of Lady Mountbatten's extensive work, as superintendent of the St John Ambulance in visiting hospitals and relief work. After the war she would distinguish herself in efforts to recover Allied prisoners of war and internees throughout south east Asia. See related items.

The dopesheet for this film is undated. Dopesheet describes the contents of 16 rolls of film; this reel contains Rolls 1 - 10. Coverage continues in JIN 6.

The dopesheet for this film is marked 'Indian News Parade' but no corresponding edition appears to be held by the Imperial War Museum. However, an edition of British Movietone News (No. 832, from March 1945) uses this material.