Indian and British troops of 25th Indian Division make an unopposed amphibious landing at Akyab, an island off the Arakan coast of Burma, led by British commandos and supported by Indian Sherman tanks.

Indian troops, probably 19th Hyderabad Regiment, coming off a landing craft; they wear the patch of 25th Indian Division. Boarding a Landing Craft Assault; troops wade aboard. Boarding LCA 249 in marshy or reedy water. Close-ups troops on board. Troops standing in the water trying to free a stuck LCA. Boarding the craft. Underway. More closee-ups, including of Royal Indian Navy sailors (landing craft underway). Indian soldier shows off moustache. Landing craft underway. Views of landing craft underway and passing larger landing craft. Troops walking ashore from LCA 455. Wider shot. Indian troops passing camera up the beach. Shots of troops walking on the beach and more landing craft arriving. Gurkha troops, probably of 3rd Battalion 2nd Gurkha Rifles, passing. A Gurkha soldier, his lower trouser legs damp, walks smartly past camera with a walking cane. British troops on the beach resting. Close-ups cheerful British troops, showing the 25th Indian Division insignia; these troops possibly 6th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Troops sharing cigarettes. More landing craft coming ashore. British troops walking ashore. Gurkhas march past British troops (possibly Commandos). Troops heading inland. British troops shouldering their packs as more troops come ashore. British commandos, including signallers, passing a stationary Sherman tank. Shermans, of the Indian Army’s 19th Lancers, passing with troops riding on the rear hull. British commandos passing; they seem in good spirits. British troops walking towards and past camera, along a path through tall grass. Troops passing directly across frame left-to-right. British troops walking through tall grass. Passing camera. Wider shot of the same.

Notes

The dopesheet for this film refers to '4 Gurkhas', presumably meaning either 4th Battalion of a Gurkha Rifles regiment, or a battalion of 4th Gurkha Rifles. However, 25th Indian Division did not include a fourth battalion of any Gurkha regiment. The leading brigade of the Division was 74th Indian Infantry Brigade, which included 3rd Battalion 2nd Gurkha Rifles. Confusing matters further, however, is the fact that 53rd Indian Infantry Brigade (part of 25th Indian Division) included 4th Battalion 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles. Given the number of the battalion, and the fact that the Garhwalis' uniform is similar to the Gurkhas', it seems likely that the troops seen are Garhwali and the cameraman mistook them for Gurkhas.

For more footage of operations at or near Pinwe, see related items.

Series note: The MWY series of films is believed to be part of a ‘pool’ of film received by the Government of India from various sources, including South East Asia Command, the Indian Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate, the Ministry of Information, and from Allied governments. This footage would have been considered for editing and release through the Indian Newsreel Parade; see INR series.