UNITED NEWS [Series Title]

Edition of United News featuring the capture of Kiska in the Aleutian Islands; the building of airfields for the United States Army Air Forces in the hinterland of China; a march past by a British anti-aircraft unit in New York City; a visit to the United States by Mary Churchill, daughter of the British Prime Minister; the transport by rail of munitions and troops across America, and an offensive against the Japanese in New Guinea.

Part 1: United New main titles. 'Allies take Kiska - - Japs flee last base in Aleutians'. Overlooking a road by a harbour; vehicles and American troops pass along it. Troops passing. Group of American and Canadian officers including Admiral Thomas Kincaid, commander of the force . Troops boarding a troopship (probably 7th Infantry Division). Convoy at sea. Men painting their faces with camouflage paint. Servicing weapons. A man levels a Thompson submachine gun. Animated map of the Pacific; a plane 'flies' across and shows the distance from Seattle to Kiska to be 2850 miles and a a further 1100 to Paramushiro in the northern Kurile Islands. Kiska to Tokyo is shown as 2000 miles. Landing craft (including LCT 353) coming ashore. Unloading stores onto a beach. Wrecked Japanese aircraft. American troops with flag flying behind.

Part 2: 'China's manpower carves airdromes from wilderness'; Pan showing Chinese civilian labourers at work. Breaking rocks. Hauling roller. A United States Army Air Forces' B-24 Liberator lands on an airstrip.

Part 3: 'New York honors visiting British anti-aircraft unit'; along a main road in New York City lorries towing 40mm Bofors guns and searchlights are watched by large crowds. Shot from an overtaking vehicle showing a towed Bofors. American and British officers on a podium (at New York City Hall?) with flags. Troops march past. They are addressed by Fiorello La Guardia, the Mayor of New York.

Part 4: 'Mary Churchill, Prime Minister's Daughter, in US'; Mary Churchill in Army uniform. She meets Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Life Guards doing a lifesaving demonstration. Churchill sits on a life guards' look-out seat and dons a pair of sunglasses

Part 5: 'Railroads play dramatic role in America at war'; [sound comes in at this point] vast numbers of waiting lorries, motorbikes and M3 light tanks. Light tanks driving along a road through a wooded area. A train hauling flat cars forms up. The tanks drive onto the train (one tank is seen to be named 'Port Arthur'). Half-tracked vehicles drive onto a train. Motorcyclists ride on. Securing the vehicles in position. Troops board a passenger carriage. Interior; rail network control room. Signal box with train passing outside. Semaphore signals moving. Trains moving off and underway. Various shots of trains in different terrains, halting at a marshalling yard, of points moving. A meal is served aboard the train. American troops eating. Train underway at night. Dockside; train arrives. Troops disembark. Loading a ship. Troops pass with their kitbags. Ship at sea.

Part 6: 'Gen. MacArthur's forces launch drive on Japs'; dockside with stores and vehicles. A dismantled aircraft fuselage is tractored along. Aerial footage; B-24 Liberators in flight. Air gunners keep a look-out. Bombs falling (from an aircraft named 'Madame Belle' (?)). Bombs exploding below around Salamaua and Lae. More bombs dropped. Explosions below. Two gunners give each other 'OK!' gestures. End title.

35mm