Footage shows how the 'Elephant Man' saved troops in WWII

The story of a British tea planter who became known as 'The Elephant Man' during World War II is now being told in full for the first time, following the donation of some rare amateur film footage to the University of Cambridge.

Gyles Mackrell organised a daring operation using elephants to rescue hundreds of refugees, stranded when the British retreated from Burma in 1942.

The footage, shot by Mackrell himself, shows how the elephants were able to cross the flooded rivers at the border with India.

Footage and commentary supplied by the University of Cambridge.