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Marines Arrive in Shanghai

Battalions of the Royal Marines and the Coldstream Guards parade through Shanghai as the Chinese Civil War looms.

Non-Fiction 1927 1 mins Silent

Overview

Newly arrived British troops, including Royal Marines and the 2nd Battalion of the Coldstream Guards, march through the rainy streets of Shanghai in this vividly shot item from the Topical Budget newsreel - a rare foray into serious international news. Allied troops were brought in to protect European nationals and their assets from nationalist forces as China slid towards civil war.

Major-General Sir John Duncan, commanding officer of the recently created Shanghai Defence Force, is seen saluting troops in front of the British Consulate. Also seen is Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt, then the senior British official in the region.