The last time that the battalion had marched along Nanking Road, there were five more men in its ranks than there were yesterday. Those who watched the Rifles: narch down Shanghai's main street with all the smartness of the British soldier as he steps in time with his comrades behind a crack military band, could not help recalling the misfortune which had overtaken this battalion since its arrival in Shanghai at the beginning of hostilities to a: in the defence of the Settlem Four men had died only front line of fire close to eld Park, and one had been the victim of an attack upon a British v a Japanese warplane. The battalion had done more than its share in the defence of the Settlement perimeter, doubt some of the men recalled nights spent in sandbag posts in' the Jessfield sector during the severe fighting in the western district, and in the Hongkew sector close to the North Station while the fighting was raging furiously in that quarter. and bombs and shells were bursting unpleasantly close. Certainly the departing troops had plenty of vivid memories to take with them of Shanghai during the "war" of 1937.
Boarding tenders a Customs the Jetty, the Rifles were taken on board the Dilwara, lying at the Shanghai & Hongkew Wharf, Pootung. The Dilwara will sail at 8 a.m. to-day for India, and there the main body of the battalion will disembark for Rawalpindi, where they will serve their next term of service. Some details will be drafted for service in other parts of the B Empire.
The Durha sre under the temporary command of Major E. T. Heslop. Lieutenant-Colonel W. A Grey-Wilsot their commanding officer, being indisposed at the present time.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.