BRIDGEHEAD OPERATIONS ON IRRAWADDY [Allocated Title]

Troops and armour are carried across the Irrawaddy River, Burma, at Myinze by a mixture of DUKWs and pontoon rafts.

British troops disembark from a DUKW amphibious truck on the shore. A bulldozer clears a sand pile and a Sherman tank sits on a pontoon raft on the river. A Sherman tank of 255th Indian Tank Brigade rolls off a pontoon and up the shore. British troops disembark from a DUKW and move off along the shoreline. More DUKWs arrive laden with troops. A DUKW pulls a pontoon raft across the river and arrives at the shore. A Daimler Dingo and and another Sherman rolls off a pontoon onto shore. Troops rest along a roadside and a radio operator tests his equipment. Two soldiers admire a photograph of a 'pin-up' lady. Troops climb aboard DUKWs; they load up with their kit and are wearing lifebelts. The shoreline passes as the cameraman is carried across the river by one of the DUKWs. The troops disembark. More troops board a pontoon raft and are taken across the river. A Grant tank is loaded onto a pontoon raft, then a bulldozer is loaded on board. A Universal (Bren) Carrier, with oil drums lashed to its sides to float it, drives off the river shore and into the water to cross to the bridgehead This was an experiment which lead to the method being used for all the Bren Carriers (see JFU 46). More tanks are loaded for transportation.

35mm