A very enthusiastic send-off was given to about sixty local Britons, who left Shanghai yesterday morning to join His Majesty's Forces in Malaya and India, by a large crowd of relatives, friends and well-wishers at the Customs Jetty. The volunteers left in two batches, the first leaving by tender at 830 am., while the majority left forty-five minutes later.
Among those who came to wish the recruits the best of luck and bon voyage were Mr. A. H. George, British Consul-General in Shanghai; members of the Consular and Embassy staffs; representatives of St. Andrew's, St. David, St. George's and St. Patrick's Societies; representatives of the United Services, the Zero Club and the R.A.F. Association; Colonel J. W. Hornby, S.V.C. Commandant; Major G. H. Mann, Staff Officer of the S.V.C; Mr. A. H. Samson, Assistant Commissioner of the Shanghai Municipal Police; many members, both senior and junior of the SMP. and'the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank.
The sixty local Britons bade Shanghai a cheerful farewell as they boarded the tenders to take them to the ship bound for their destination. Without the pomp of the send-off given regular troops on their departure from this city, the ceremony yesterday was nevertheless thrilling and rousing. There were no tearful faces in the crowd, although mothers, sisters, wives and sweethearts exerted all their efforts to smile as the volunteers bade them farewell, and this added ever so much more pathos to the scene.
Eagerness ts go in and do their bit was written on the faces of all the recruits. Many of them had already seen volunteer service in the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, in the Armoured Car Company and "ther units; end with the realization that they will be able to do something in this hour of peril, they were on fire to join regular British Forces.
At the first warnings, at 830 and 9.15 am, the volunteers hurried to bid farewell to their relatives and friends who had gathered at the jetty. Wishes of "good luck" and "hope to see you soon" filled the air as the tender began to steam away from the jetty.
wong after the launch had left the Customs Jetty, the crowd still remained on the pontoon to catch a last glimpse of the hardy young Britons as they sailed away from Shanghai. Among those present were some members of the Shanghai contingent who fought in the Great War of 1914, including Messrs. H. Martin and F. Barry.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.