Brig.-Gen. Orpen-Palmer Inspects S.V.C.: Enthusiastic Scenes at Farewell Brigadier-General H.B.H, Orpen: Palmer, C1.6., 0.80, after attending. various farewell functions during the week, on March 6 went his final' parade of the Shanghai "Volunteer "Corps, which "he has commanded for. the "past three years, He was presented with rose-bowl, a silver cigar box, and album in which are inscribed the Signatures of most of the Corps.
'The' departing Commandant has spent nearly 33 years in the army, ten of which have been served in China. "For three years he was; Language Offer in Peking, and Inter on he served four, years Military Attache in Peking: he has now completed his three years command of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, which he joined in March, 1028," He was gazetted to. the honorary rank of Brigadier-the rank which he had dur Great War, in January last, on the date of his retirement from the When the South African War broke out, Brig.-General Orpen Palmer was on his way to join his Regiment at Ladysmith as 2nd-Lieutenant. He went through the siege there and afterwards was in the big drive north to Petoria with Lord Roberts, gaining his captaincy] Within "yea of the issue of his first commission, and being mention ed in despatches. His service in the Great War is too well-known to recapitulate, but it may be said that. the General' was mentioned in despatches seven times while on active Service with his Regiment, During his time as Commandant of the Corps, the Corps has not Seen mobilized, There have, howrt, been rumours of trouble and tine troubles, Brigadier-General Orpen-Palmer "has always been most imperturbable: nothing worries him, and if any real trouble had occurred, there is no doubt but] That all ranks serving under, him would have felt complete confidence in'him, He has proved, exception ally' popular with' the Chinese and Portuguese Companies and has done much to promote the good feeling Which exists among all: the nation-Alities in the Corps.
Nothing outstanding, has happen ed during the General's tenure of command, but one of, the most portant things that has been tuted by him is the Special Reeve unity The scheme for this is the very thing needed in Shang! for the season that recruiting has: Lecome more difficult owing to the fact that mobilization has. not occurred for some time now, and the! Presence, of regular troops in Reserve created by Orpen-Palmer is that' as far as the Corps is concerned all members of the Community are registered beforehand, and. they are already classified' in case of trouble. Should Feal trouble occur a large' number of men would turn up. and. offer hele services, and without © the existence of &_ special reserve the organization of these men. would present a large amount of trouble Ata time when the Corps is fully Sccupied, This state of affairs xisted in, 1925, units of the corps Being fooded with a number of men who got in the way to a large ex-Yent wing to their not being fully trained oF not fitting into any definite scheme of things "To turn to a very different matter, Brig-Gen, Orpen-Palmer "has been responsible recently for the in troduction of a Corps neck-tie. This occurred not very long ago, bit al-Feady a large number of these to be seen around the town, and they are daily Increasing nep The Commandant received a yeneval salute from the parade, awa up. down" the whole depth of the hall, He "then inspected each unit separately, accompanied by Major MeMfichael, jor T. A. Zee and Capt. J. W.|R Hinchcliffe, Adjutant of the Cory coming back to the dais erected front of the parade, where Major MeMichael presented him with a large rose-bowl, suitably inscribed, silver cigar box and an album in which all members. of the Corps Wore entitled to sign their names. Major 'MeMichael, in asking the General to accept these gifts as a token of esteem and apprecia of all ranks of the Corps on completion of three years' sei fadded that with them went the est wishes of the whole Corps for
in their future Brig-Gen- and. Mrs. Orpen-Faimer In replying, the General stated] Bah that he was. touched and honoured] by the magnificent parade that confronted him, and he thanked—all resent for having turned up, ada-Sng that he realized that many who were on parade were there at per-Sonal inconvenience to.themselves.
For him it was a sorrowful ocean sion, being the last parade of the that he would attend, at any rate as Commandant. He ' arrived here three years ago to take up his post with a great deal of dif. idence, not knowing what he would find. From his arrival, however, everybody had combined to. make his task easy and pleasant, and he had found the utmost loyalty, en-Jcouragement and help, 'He was now retiring from the army after nearly 33. years' ser-ice, ten of which had been spent in China. "All have been ood, but the last three have been the best.
'The General would always have the greatest pride that he had commanded this wonderful Corps. He would leave Shanghai, without, jas. far as ho was aware, a single enemy, and would leave' behind a large number of friends. He would always follow with the greatest of Interest the doings of the Corps, Jand he felt sure that as long as it will maintain its wonderful reputation, Gen. Orpen-Palmer thanked the Corps, on behalf of himself and his wife, for the gifts that had been made, "and stated that really needed no memento of the Corps. He placed particular value in the book," in which so. many names had been inscribed. In bidding good-bye to the Corps, wished each individual member of It the best of luck, and offered his grateful thanks Before leaving the Drill Hall the the General shook hands with each fof the 54 officers lined up in front ofthe parade, following which three "hearty "cheers and a tiger; were given as he went off parade.
On "March 8 Shanghai gave 9 fine send-off to Brig-Gen. Orpen: Palmer, who sailed for henie by the str. Empress of Canada, accompanied by Mrs, Orpen-Palmer. Phere was a strong military guard of honour, while the Bund Zoreshore was thronged with friends who) came to bid farewell.
Escorted by two armoured cats, the General arrived at the Bun 10.20 a.m., to receive a general salute from the S.V.C. guard of honour, consisting of 12 men from each unit of the Corps, under the command of Major F. A. 2, Leitao, The Corps colour was carried by W/L. Tuxford.
Passing down the line, _accompanied by Major E. H. McMichael, Second-in-command," Major T. A. Zee and Capt. J. W. Hinchliffe, Ad-Jutant, the General' reviewed' the! S.V.C. guard. As he approached the guard of honour from the French Forces, the latter, under Lieut, Communal, presented arms and their trumpets sounded a flourish. The guard from the 4th Regt, United States Marine Corps, under W. F. Brown, carried out movement. On the extreme! left of the line the General inspect a guard of Sikhs from" the; Shanghai Municipal Police,—under Capt. E.R. Kennedy, Assistant! Commissioner, and another, consisting of S.M.P. Specials, under. Mr.
Herbert, Assistant Commis- Ay, ter completing. his. inspection, Brig-Gen. Aspen-Palmer walked back down the line, stopping hake hands with ath of the off-cers on the. various, guards ftonour:" A: number of S.V.C. ofoers Who attended, although "not on parade, then Tined up on the parade round to shake hands with the de-Dating commandant 7 foming off the parade ground, the General found 'a lange: number of people. who had gathered to hi Tarewell, Amongst. those. present Were Brig-Gen. B. B. Macaghten, Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council and: Civil Com: mandant of the SVE, Digna Area of the China Command, leming, Commanding Shanghai
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.