Glimpses of Army days by George French

George French's film of his service as a Sergeant with 8 Garrison Battalion Newcastle Defence and later as an officer with Australian Water Transport and British Borneo Civil Affairs Unit (BBCAU).
Opens with title Glimpses of Army days by George French. Title: With the 8th Garrison Battalion Newcastle Defence 1942. Shows Battalion members charging towards camera with fixed bayonets. Quick pans of the men. Close ups of the men who all appear to be First World War veterans. Men at ease. Shouldering arms drill and sheathing bayonets. Men huddled around a fire, Newcastle suburb. They run into an air raid shelter and man a Bren gun on an anti aircraft mount. Sergeant and officer pose for camera. Officer and old veteran with utility vehicle in the background. Long shot of Newcastle suburbs. Title: Brisbane River seen from the Army vessel 1350 Margaret. Shows buildings and facilities along the shoreline. Army vessel AM 65, barges and merchant ships. Martin Mariner seaplane at mooring. Aerial of Martin Mariner in flight. Title: Wire splicing. Shows close up of crewman twisting wire cables. Title. The Maheno wreck Frazer Island Qld. Wrecked 1935. Shows long shot of the shipwreck. Close up of crew rowing in a long boat the Margaret in the distance. Title. Saturday afternoon regatta Toorbul Point. Shows sailboats. Crewmen peeling potatoes aboard ship. Title: Loading cargo from DUKWs Redcliffe. Shows DUKWs bring cargo to the Margaret and loading of cargo into the ships hold by crane. Long shot of DUKW number 120. Title: Rough weather Queensland coast. Shows bow of the Margaret in heavy seas. Patrol boats and long shot of shore. Title: Margaret in dock damaged Coffs Harbour June 1945. Shows repair sections and men working on the hull. View of the stern showing propellers. Close up of damage to the ship’s superstructure. Map of Borneo with graphic showing location of Labuan. View through windshield of moving vehicle showing title Borneo written on windshield. Title: Preparing Padi Fields. Peasants ploughing with water buffalo. Various scenes of villagers. Title: The 2/4th AGH showing the hospitals tents and some patients and locals. Title: Jam Basar (Big Clock) only remaining shop buildings. Shows damage to the buildings. Title: The Mined Joseph Carrigan. View of the ship holed below the water line by a naval mine. Title: Weston. Sketch of the village cut to actual footage. Various scenes of dwellings and inhabitants. Title: The Jeep train and some Japs. Shows jeep adapted to travel on rails arriving at a station. Refueling jeep. [This could be jeep No144408 the one held at the AWM accession number 31402.001-31402.002] Another jeep train arrives. Japanese prisoners getting down from vehicle, possibly the carriage pulled by jeep train. The POWs are lined up and marched out. Army vessel AM 2004 docked at wharf. On board a local steamer. Title: Brunei River. Shows journey down river. Title: The River village low tide. Shows hut on pole built out into the riverbank. Title: Brunei. Show map. Arriving at Brunei showing Chinese temple on riverbank. Wharves buildings and pans of the harbour. Damaged buildings showing shell holes. Title: The Cutch Factory. Shows damaged to factory. Title: Sultan’s Palace. Shows ruined buildings and place. Title: River village tide rising. Shows the pole houses now out in the water. Map graphic pointing to Lawas. Shows close ups of local women and children. Title: End of the year regatta. Villagers at regatta showing racing canoes. Pans of the river and village. Title: New Years Day Sports 1946. Shows track and field and novelty events such as sack race and tug-o-war. Title: Sibu on the Rajang River Sarawak. Views along river and of town of Sibu showing war damage. Title: Bullet holes in the roof of the Chinese Club. Shows Chinese inside the club. Title: Down the Igon River to Dyak long house. Views of river and village. Musicians and sword dancer perform in a Dyak long house. Dyak young women lined up outside long house. Australian Major shaking hands with Dyak chief. Villagers wave to departing Australians. Title: A Dyak’s Parang (sword). Shows Australian on deck of the Margaret unsheathing the Dyak sword. Close up of sword decorations. Close up of navigator with sexton. Tile: Part III. Map of North Borneo showing graphic pointing to Kudai. Union Jack flying in compound. Damaged buildings. Local workmen repairing buildings. Dyak village. Jeep on jungle track. Tropical flowers. Children on a water buffalo. Harbour area and labourers. Long shot of the Margaret. Labourers moving stores. Title: When a Chinese family moves they take everything. Shows family loading boat including cage of chickens. Map showing Jesselton. Notice board in Chinese and Malaya. Bombs stored on the wharf. Damaged buildings. Title: Nature blooms midst man’s destruction. Topical flowers and damaged buildings. Title: The GPO. Showing damaged post office building. Title: Railway Station Clock Tower. Railway station and wrecked rolling stock. Title: China’s Day 10 Oct. appearance of flag since Japanese occupation. Chinese rejoice. Shows Chinese Nationalist flag behind Chinese selling produce and goods. Chinese women. Rickshaw. Petrol station Chinese washing at a well. Emaciated old Chinese walks towards camera. Australian Jeep drives up. Chinese men with bicycles. Title: The track to the Jap Commander’s HQ. Shows Japanese sign post and entrance gate. Chinese eating. Wrecked motor vehicles. Steam roller. Damaged buildings. Wrecked ship in the harbour. Damage to the Gaiety Theatre. Views of the harbour. Soldier cleaning a .303 rifle. At sea Army vessel AM2752 approaches the Margaret. Map showing Sandakan. Long shot of the shore. Pans of the harbour and town. Damaged buildings. Abandoned Japanese truck. Title: Stacking our cargo of Australian relief food. Shows Chinese women unloading stores from a truck. Title: Burning bombed Jap craft to clear slipway for reconstruction. Damaged buildings in the town. Title: Nature blooms still. Shows tropical flowers. View of the Sandakan. Title: And now for home Jan 1946. At sea showing the crew of the Margaret relaxing and cleaning the deck. Title: Queensland Views of the coast. At Sea showing a merchant ship ahead of the Margaret. Title: Kits packed ready for landings. View of signal flags flying on the Margaret. Title: Dreams of three years a reality at last. Shows Australian countryside. Landscape sketch then end title.