Commissioner of the French Police in Shanghai, present on a holiday tour of U.S.A. and Europe On August 25, 1937, a battalion of infantry commanded by Maj. Audeguls, landed and was named Ist Battalion: of China March (ler Battaillon de Marche de Chine).
Four days later, as the battle around Woosung was in full swing, another 650 men arrived and disembarked off Woosung, while the Japanese naval artillery was bombarding heavily Chinese land positions. Commanded by Maj. L. Fabre, the new battalion was named the 2nd Battalion of China March (2me Battaillon de Marche de Chine).
Immediately "upon their arrival the troops took up sectors on the limits of the concession, which they fortified with barbed wire defences, dugouts and sand bag machine-gun nests. Up to beginning of November, the defence forces of the concession were often called to help to maintain order in the districts north and north-west of the concession.
As the districts outside the settlements became more and more disturbed, in order to assure-the safety of the concession's limits it was found necessary to advance the army outposts as far as the Shanghai-Hangchow railway line, which was done in ce-ordination with the British defence forces and with the assent of both belligerent In order to protect the French Catholic Mission at Zikawei an army post was placed in the mission compound, and this did much to save this locality from the horrors of warfare with which all the neighbourhood was later so badly stricken.
On the memorable days of November 9, 10, and 11, when Japanese forces attacked Nantao after a severe aerial bombardment and artillery preparation, Japanese tanks, envelopped by thick clouds of smoke, crossed the Za Fai Kang creek; groups of Chinese soldiers sought the protection of the French Concession, where they were admitted after being disarmed and then interned in special concentration. camps.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.