He was known also as "William Tell' in Sumo circles because of his skill in archery, When the Sino-Japanese hostilities commenced he was called to the colours.
Landing in Woosung in October last autumn, he joined the Shoji detachment and since that time he has been active as a sectional commander in Kinshan and Ningkuo.
On December 26 he performed an outstanding feat in defeating about 300 Chinese soldiers in an engagement at Ningkuo while he was leading about seventy Japanese soldiers defending the east and south gates of the town. In a brisk clash lasting five hours Shimadagawa led 20 Japanese in a charge that repulsed the Chinese attack.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.