British troops of 6th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry search a pagoda complex on Akyab, an island off the Arakan coast of Burma.

Medium wide shot looking towards a pagoda complex; two British soldiers run across shot left-to-right. Other troops run forward along the low wall of the complex. Troops cautiously pass through a gateway. British troops, apparently not expecting trouble, walk towards a small stone entranceway (at the base of a severely overgrown pagoda?) and stoop to go inside. They come out again. Six British soldiers, who seem to be just looking around. Two British soldiers pass the stone entranceway seen earlier, and then take an interest in a wooden post marked with Japanese kanji script. Close-up; a soldier traces the kanji with the muzzle of his Sten gun. The soldiers carry on around the pagoda complex. The soldiers cross an open courtyard (?); a Buddha statue sits in the corner of frame. Soldiers walking along a road with the pagoda complex behind at the roadside behind them. They pass a large, ornate and apparently intact gateway. Brief shot looking through the gateway seen at the start of the reel, with British troops approaching camera.

Notes

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.