20TH DIVISION BRIDGEHEAD OVER IRRAWADDY [Allocated Title]

20th Indian Division formed a bridgehead over the River Irrawaddy, crossing at Myinmu, Burma, on the night of 12 February 1945 and reinforced it over the following few days.

An Indian Engineers’ bulldozer drives towards camera while working to create an access road to a vehicle ferry on north bank. Reverse angle looking towards ferry jetty and the far bank of the river with smoke rising. More angles of the bulldozers at work. Ferry jetty (aperture is slightly closed). DUKW ('Duck') amphibians drive down the new road. Troops of B Company 4th Battalion 10th Gurkha Rifles board assault boats at the water’s edge. Closer shots of the men boarding. Launching the boats. Starting an outboard motor and the raft (two boats joined together) motors away; a Sikh stands in foreground watching it go. More Gurkhas come down to the riverside. Close shots, taken from a boat, of Gurkhas boarding. Close shots of Gurkhas as the boat crosses the river. Close-up Gurkha in the bow of a boat, and the small bow wave. Close-up Gurkha with hand on the gunwale. A raft passes carrying a jeep. Gurkhas stepping ashore on the far side and walking up the beach. Gurkhas marching off the beach up an exit ramp. Royal Air Force Hurricane fighter-bombers attack Japanese positions in the distance; in the foreground Gurkhas amongst tall grass. Hurricanes overhead; smoke rises from the target area. Thick smoke rises from the target area. Troops move off into the long grass. British gunners of D Troop, 290 Anti-Tank Battery unloading mortar ammunition from a trailer. Dumping the ammunition in 3-inch mortar pits. Low angle close-up British gunner passing ammunition. Wide shot smoke on the horizon. Men in the foreground amongst long grass watch the distant smoke. Gunners preparing 3-inch mortar rounds, setting sights and firing their weapons. Smoke and flames a short distance away. More mortars are fired.

35mm