Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, visits the front at Imphal in Manipur, India, and inspects captured Japanese equipment and addresses troops.

Mountbatten meets British troops of 5th Indian Division, probably Royal Military Policemen. The nearest man to camera is a lance corporal with CMP(I) on his epaulette. A crowd of British troops, some shirtless, with huts in the background. Mountbatten approaching the group. The men cheering; they hold their bush hats aloft and a patch of 2nd Division is seen. Very light shot of Mountbatten boarding a United States Army Air Forces Dakota transport, marked with the four stars of a general. Visiting 50th Indian Tank Brigade Mountbatten is shown a captured Japanese light tank, a Type 95 Ha-Go medium. Mountbatten stands on the turret with another officer, who reaches into the turret and demonstrates the tank’s gun elevation. The tank is marked with hiragana script that read ‘Ha-lu-na’ on the turret and a Royal Navy cine cameraman is present. The tank, still in running condition, is demonstrated. As it passes another tank, apparently a Type 97 Chi-Ha medium, can be seen behind. Mountbatten inspects Japanese tank ammunition, apparently high explosive, and is shown a magnetic anti-tank mine. Mountbatten sticks the mine to the side of one of the tanks. Close-up of the mine. Row of Japanese ammunition. The Type 97. British soldier posing on the cupola. The first tank. Mountbatten with Major-General Cowan, commander 17th Indian Division and Lieutenant-General Scoones, commander 11th Army Group. Inspecting British officers of 17th Indian Division. Inspecting Indian and Gurkha Viceroy’s Commissioned Officers. British troops on parade are addressed by Mountbatten (he appears to look directly at the camera in a medium close-up, and then in a wide shot appears to gesture dismissively at the cameraman).

Notes

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.