description
Object description
The Royal Navy's Landing Ship Tank 3508 sails from Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) to Cheribon (Cirebon) to recover 170 Eurasian internees, with the cooperation of Indonesian forces.
Full description
An Indonesian cutter approaching and coming alongside the Royal Navy Landing Ship Tank (LST) 3508. Indonesian Army (Tentara Republik Indonesia) personnel on deck of the cutter. Indonesian flag (red and white) flying at the stern. Indonesian officers come aboard LST 3508 and speak with Lieutenant-Commander K R Bromfield-Jones. They return to their cutter. Another cutter comes alongside and two officers come aboard, one of whom is wearing Japanese uniform. Female Indonesian Red Cross personnel come aboard. A Japanese barge or landing craft operated by the 'Indonesian Navy' carrying freed internees comes alongside. Another small vessel carrying internees passes. Longer lens shot of the vessel. An Indonesian Army guard with a British-supplied Sten gun. Looking down on a boatload of evacuees. Boat with Indonesian flag flying in the foreground. Evacuees are helped aboard. Armed Indonesian with British Lee-Enfield No.4 rifle. Evacuees on deck of the LST including women and young children. Children on deck. View of the sun setting through clouds. Silhouette of a 'Dutchman look[ing] back on the town so long his prison'. Another man looking out over the stern. Two (Indonesian or Eurasian?) men eating from partitioned mess trays. A British sailor hands out sweets to the children. Chocolate is given out; a British naval officer returns a wailing child to its mother. Chocolate handed out; one child has a sailor's hat. Child drinking fruit juice. Evacuees on deck. Two Indonesian Army liaison officers. The evacuees give a cheer for the captain and crew of the LST. At Batavia internees look out over the rails. Royal Navy White Ensign flying. Close-up of the number '3508' on the vessel's side. Evacuees down the gangplank at Batavia. Women of the Dutch Red Cross prepare drinks and food. Evacuees board a lorry to take them to a reception camp.
Physical description
35mm