One of the biggest send-offs ever accorded to a British regiment leaving Shanghai was given to the Second Battalion, the Royal Welch Fusiliers, when they left yesterday for Hongkong and the Soudan, on board the transport Dunera. In the first, place, heading the battalion was the band of the Fourth Marines, signifying the friendship which has existed between the two battalions since they met in China during the Boxer uprising, All hlong the route as far as the Garden Bridge were crowds of Chinese, who had turned out especially to see the departing battalion parade in full kit, headed by two bands, and presenting an exceptionally smart appearance. The band of the Loyal Regiment also headed the parade.
The march down to the Shanghai Hongkew Wharf was by no means in the nature of a "victory parade", and there were no bombs thrown. Instead, many of the Chinese who lined Nanking Road and The Bund followed behind the battalion as it marched towards the Garden Bridge.
Well before the departure of the Fusiliers from the Race Course, crowds had. gathered in Nanking Road. At 1045, four Sikh lancers under Trooper Sergeant C. Frankish, manceuvres into position in front of the parade, the Fourth Marines band Struck up, and to the roll of drums the Fusiliers moved off from the Race Course, where they had been billetted for some time. Riding before his men was Lieutemant-Colonel D. M. Barchard, their popular commanding officer, and his second in command.
Among the men who marched off from the Race Course in column of fours were two local boys who recently Joined up as privates.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.