shanghai's US volunteers

[Larry Emrick]

John M's post about bandoliers in the UP forum mentions the Shanghai Volunteers, which sent me in search of more material, which turned up an amazing amount of information, including a short video.
Here is just one excerpt:

"An excerpt from Sin City, by Ralph Shaw, describing the Corps in 1937:

"In the International Settlement a reserve force in time of emergency was provided by the Shanghai Volunteer Corps (S.V.C.) which consisted of one professional battalion of young White Russians, superbly disciplined and impeccably turned out in British Army uniforms. The other companies were manned by volunteers from the civilian population. The commandant was a Briton, Colonel Hornby. There was 'A' Company formed by Britons of pure-white descent. 'B' Company contained Eurasians. 'C' Company was the Chinese unit. There was no racial integration in the S.V.C. 'A' Company was exclusively white and it would have been impossible for a British Eurasian to have breached the strict racial barrier. The most picturesque unit was the kilted Scottish Company complete with pipes and di-ut-ns but the mounted American Troop commanded by a local lawyer, Major H. D. Rodger, ran the Scots a close second in their 'Boy Scout' hats and American-style cavalry uniforms."

Larry

[John M]

Interesting, Larry.