Page:History of the Sixth Regiment, United States Marines.djvu/61

56 56 History of Sixth Regiment, U. S. Marines. April, 1927, on the S.S. PRESIDENT GRANT, arriving at Olongapo, P. I., on 4 May, 1927, disembarking the next day. on 5 May, the designation of the 3rd Battalion, Sixth Regiment, was changed to that of 3rd Battalion. Sixth Regiment, Provisional Regime-U, Third Brigade. While the Sixth Regiment was at Shanghai, the work of improving conditions at Camp Butler was carried on. During this period, a couple of shots were heard near the camp, but investigation could not reveal the origin. The S.S. PRESIDENT LINCOLN requested a detach- ment of marines to quell a disturbance aboard that ship and a detach- ment ,6f three officers and rwo platoons of enlisted men was sent aboard, returning to camp the next morning. There had been no difficulty in maintaining order among the crew aboard the ship. At 12:40 p.m ., I June, 1927, orders were received from Brigade Headquarters to break camp and load supplies aboard the HENDERSON, and be prepared to sail at any time. At 12 :00 noon, 2 June, 1927, the Sixth Regiment sailed aboard the HENDERSON, arriving at Taku Bar at II :00 p.m., 4 June, 1927. The forward echelon, composed of the Regimental Commander, RI, R-2, R-4, and Assistant to R-4, left the HENDERSON at 10 :00 a.m., on June, 5, arriving in Tientsin by rail and establishing Regi- mental Headquarters at the Sino-American Compound at 5 :30 p.m., that date. At 2 :00 p.m ., 5 June, the first lighter, carrying troops and provisions, left the HENDERSON and proceeded up the HAI HO RIVER to Tientsin, arriving there at 10 :30 p.m ., immediately establish- ing themselves at the Sino-American Compound. The following day, Camp Woodrow Wilson, in the Ex-German Concession was established, and the entire regiment, less the 78th, 81st, Headquarters and Head- quarters Company, 2nd Battalion, moved into camp. The Regimental Quartermaster had established storerooms at the Fairchild Godown, Taku Road, and Commissary storerooms at No. 116, the Bund. (British Concession). Throughout the summer, parades, drills, reviews, etc., were held, except during the hottest part of the summer, when all drills, and woik, other than routine camp duties, were suspended. The command suffered greatly from the heat and the forthcoming autumn was greeted with great relief from the excessive heat. During the month of September, the 80th arvJ the 79th Companies went to the International Rifle Range, Peking, China, to fire for qualifi- cation. Throughout the ensuing winter, the billets, into which the organiza- tion had moved, were remodeled, cleaned, and, in addition, drills and instructions were carried on. The winter was so severe that it was necessary to make fur caps a part of the uniform.