There is a good deal of rivalry and argument in the S.V.C. as to which is the oldest Company and, though none of the other units seriously challenge the claims of who seems to have been mixed up with everything in.the early days. He was one of the four original sergeants elected on July 20, 1870. A gay gathering they must have "A" and "B" Companies, these beer m on parade in their quaint two hold tight to their own ideas. mixture of Fire Brigade and mili-As we are now writing of "A" tary uniform, consisting of a scarlet Company we can put forward their Garibaldi shirt, black Tyrolese hat claim that they go back in a direct with a blackcock's plume, black line to the very beginning. When leather Mih-ho-loong belt and aca Volunteer Corps was first started coutrements, black cloth trousers there was a No. 1 Company. Later with red seam (winter), or white the old Fire Brigade took on mili-drill trousers (summer). Shoulder tary duties as well and formed the to Shoulder" was their motto. Mih-ho-loong Rifles and eventually A gap oecus in the minutes the two of them combined as No. until February 9, 1874, when we 1 Company (Mih-ho-loong Rifles), find Capt. Rice in command, with this title in turn giving way to "A"
Messrs. Mackenzie and Groom as Company and finally to "A" Com-his subalterns. The Company had pany, British, by which the first in-been called together because dull fantry Company on parade to-day regulations had been ignored and is known. So there is an un-things generally were so slack that broken connexion, if not an the advisability of continuing the absolutely straight line. railitary organization was queried.
No. 1 Company appears to have However, the offer by the Com-been by far the bigger partner in riancier of H. M. S. Cadmus of the the amalgamation, but the tradi-loan of a drill sergeant bucked up tions of the picturesque and the old gentlemen no end and they romantic Mih-ho-loong were vowed to stick together and compel absorbed with the firemen-soldiers the resignation of any member who and it has been Mih-ho-loong first cid not keep up to scratch. Their and foremost ever since. In the minute book shows that they were bright days before the Great War, as good as their word and were when "A" Company's ball was one not over polite in dealing with of the chief social events of the slackers. year, a never omitted function dur-Sergt. Manson succeeded to w ing the evening was an official commission in 1876, in place of supper, at which the foreman of Lieut. Groom. In the following the Mih-ho-loong presided, whilst year compulsory class firing was the O. C. "A" Company was Mr. instituted on a complaint of some Vice." Again, Company minutes of the keener members that there contain frequent entries: The were men in the ranks who had meeting came to an abrupt ternever taken the trouble to fire a mination owing to the ringing of single shot. Indeed, at that time the fire bell.'" the Company appears to have We have recorded earlier that a struck a very bad patch, the roll Volunteer force was first formed having dwindled to nearly vanishing in Shanghai in 1853, for defence point and it is recorded that "out against the Taipings and that of 38 members only 25 are effective had_a spasmodic existence—disbanding sion there was peace and and it is very difficult. to obtain recruits, none of the newcomers to springing to arms whenever there}Shanghai being disposed to join was trouble—until 1870, when it}the Volunteers."
Once again dis-was first established on per-bandment was discussed, but the manent basis. There was then one/keen men prevailed and saved the body of infantry known as the Rifle]Company with a suggestion that Brigade and another styled ithe}they should amalgamate with No. Mih-ho-loong Rifles, an ancient}) Company. minute book stating of the latter: "At a meeting of the Mih-ho-loong Hook and Ladder Company held on Evidently there had been another July 6, 1870, the state of affairs] shuffling of officers, for in January, was mentioned and the Company]1879, the Municipal Council wrote decided to enroll as a military]to Capt. Rice, Lieut.
Groom and body. The present Fire Officers, Lieut. Ssu as the Company Messrs. C. J. Ashley and E. W.|Jofficers, authori ing the amalgama-Rice, were duly elected Captain and|tion and sanctioning new uniforms Lieutenant, respectively."
Capt. at $15 per man, half to be paid by Ashley for some unknown reason]|the Council.
Capt. J. F, Holliday resigned within a fortnight and the|would appear to have been O. command was given to Capt. No. 1 Company then, for in Novem. Francis A. Groom and later in the|ber of the same year his resigna-same year a commission was alsoytion was gazetted and Lieut. R.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.