After 82nd West African Division capture the town of Buthidaung in the Arakan region of Burma, various local water craft are assembled to make use of the Kalapanzin River.

Six Allied heavy bombers, probably Liberators, passing overhead. An engineer of 82nd West African Division removes a Japanese landmine. Sapper removing a mine; men stand by with mine detectors. By a piece of mine tape a defused aircraft bomb and some other ordnance. Bulldozer approaching camera with West African soldier driving and a British soldier with Sten gun also riding aboard. Unclear shot, probably military boats on the Kalapanzin river. Looking down on a small boat; British troops aboard try and recover a partially submerged local sampan/kisti? Local boats assembled at the riverbank of the Kalapanzin. Cookhouse in the field; steam rises from a number of cans on a fire. Cans on the fire; one soldier stirs one of them with a stick. A small raft apparently laden with ammunition boxes; a local boat in the background. Shot looking across river with a boat in the foreground. 25-pounder field guns with boxes of ammunition and men around them at the roadside. Pan showing a 25-pounder on a raft and an Indian soldier hammering a stake with a mallet on the riverbank, many other boats moored nearby. Closer shot of the Indian troops at the riverbank. A pair of Britons attempting to start an outboard motor which is mounted on a wooden fitting.

Notes

According to the official history, Buthidaung was occupied against slight opposition on the day this film was shot. In the next few days some 640 boats were collected and put to use, with the craft being assembled by 425th and 63rd Field Companies of the Indian Engineers.

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.