Description
Object description
In Calcutta, India, the hospital ship HMHS Karapara arrives carrying Allied former prisoners of war, freed from Japanese captivity at Rangoon jail in Burma.
Full description
Panning shot at No.1 Berth, Princep Ghat, Calcutta; pan from a female nurse on the dockside to the berthed hospital ship HMHS Karapara, which is dressed overall with flags. A band plays on the floating jetty; an excessively fast pan to men waving from the deck of Karapara (the name of the ship can be seen on the side). Looking up at the Red Cross painted on Karapara's funnel. Shot of signal flags flying. Looking up a gangway to waving Indian personnel, some of whom are stretcher bearers or medical orderlies. Close-up; brass band on the jetty. The bandmaster with his keeping time with his baton. Looking up the side of the ship to men (patients/freed prisoners of war) at the railings; one man is wearing a Scottish tam o'shanter. On the jetty; a British stretcher case is carried past camera (his face is not seen, but he has a large tattoo on his right forearm). An Indian man on a stretcher looks at the camera as he is carried past and his stretcher set down; in the foreground an Indian Military Policeman (a lance naik) wearing the patch of 303rd Line of Communication Area. Camera follows an Indian soldier as he comes down the gangway; he appears to wearing a medical tag but is also carrying a full pack. An Indian 'walking wounded' patient is escorted down the gangway. Low shot of Richard Casey, Governor of Bengal, arriving at the jetty. He shakes hands with a medical officer before going aboard the Karapara. Casey speaking to a lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Three female nurses, two of whom are British (and smoking cigarettes) and one Indian. Close-up one woman's shoulder title and insignia of the Red Cross & St John Ambulance Joint War Organisation. Two (British?) walking wounded come down the gangway; the first man has his arm in a sling and an Indian (orderly?) rushes over to take his baggage (a small sack). A British stretcher case is carried away; he looks at the camera. Two American female nurses, possibly nursing officers; captain and lieutenant insignia are seen. Three British stretcher cases are laid down in front of, or carried past, the camera; the men smile for the camera. View from the ship's superstructure; a very tall white man waves to the camera before walking down the gangway. From the dockside; looking up at men and nurses waving from the ship's railing. Another shot of Casey shaking hands with a medical officer.
Physical description
35mm