Shanghai Municipal Police

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Shanghai Municipal Police
"Omnia Juncta In Uno (All joined as one)" -- Motto of the SMP Prior to WWII, Shanghai was divided into three districts, only one of them Chineseadministered. The smaller of the two Western-administered enclaves was the French Concession, backed up by a large French military force and effectively a French colony. The larger, which contained the British, American, and most other consulates, was the International Settlement . Together, the French Concession (close to 480,000 inhabitants) and the International Settlement (more than a million inhabitants) occupied 12.66 square miles. Some 90% of their inhabitants were Chinese, who had little rights, however. The Shanghai Municipal Police (SMP) was the law enforcement agency responsible for policing the mainly British-run International Settlement. Founded in 1854, it enforced the law in that part of the city until 1943. Throughout that time, its strength rose to a peak of 6,000 active officers during the 1930s, many of them Westerners with either a bent for adventure or problems at home -- Americans, Irishmen, Central European Jews and "White" Russians were prominent among the expatriates in the city. In no way was the SMP's composition representative of the Settlement's citizens, but it was a very international force; among its ranks were Chinese, Englishmen, Irishmen, Japanese, Russians, Scotsmen, Sikhs, and a sprinkling of Americans, Australians, Austrians, Germans, Swedes, and others. However, the majority of the upper ranks were British, and most of the foot constables were Chinese. In an interesting twist, there was not "the law" for the SMP to uphold; treaty agreements between China and the 14 "favored nations" assured a judicial system known as "extraterritoriality." That is, an accused citizen of a favored nation (Belgium, Brazil, Great Britain, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.S.) had to be brought before a consular judge of his own country. Chinese as well as all foreigners without extra-territorial rights were brought before a Chinese court. Due to the unique composition and locale of Shanghai, the city was thriving with criminals of all sorts and descriptions. Some of them petty, many of them dangerous -- kidnapping, murder, and espionage covert ops were commonplace. Violent clashes between police and criminals were frequent; in 1933, the SMP suffered one dead and eight wounded officers, while killing 11 criminals and wounding 13. That was a "quiet" year . . . The SMP was headquartered at the Central Police Station at 239 Hankow Road, but maintained smaller posts throughout the International Settlement and also mounted patrols on foot and on motorcycle. The Commissioner of Police was the third-best paid official in the International Settlement, earning 3,215 Yuan (Mexican silver dollars) monthly in 1934 (equivalent to $2,600).

Assistant Commissioner William Fairbairn William Ewart Fairbairn was born on February 28, 1885 in Rickmansworth, England. He joined the Royal Marines at age 16, and after serving six years with them, partly in Korea, joined the SMP in 1907. During one of his foot patrols, the young sergeant was severely beaten up and left for dead by a Chinese gang. This led to his decision to whole-heartedly study close combat techniques. Fairbairn had already been an infamous barroom brawler and bayonet fighter in the Marines, where he developed several new bayonet techniques. From 1908, he trained extensively in various Eastern martial arts, including Pakua Chang under Tsai Ching Tung, a former instructor at the Chinese court, and Jujutsu under Professor Okado. In 1931, he received a 2nd-degree black belt from the Kodokan Judo University in Tōkyō. From his experiences he developed Defendu, a combat style optimized for police use. During his over 30 years in the SMP, he was personally involved in more than six hundred violent encounters! Fairbairn soon became the SMP's Chief Instructor in close combat techniques and firearms training. An excellent shot, he wrote manuals on instinctive shooting and proper pistol technique. He also formed and commanded the Reserve Unit. He held training courses in pistol shooting for the New York Police Department and the British Army Small Arms School. His proficiency with the blade was legendary, and his experiments would lead to the famous Fairbairn-Sykes commando dagger. Fairbairn retired from the SMP in 1939, to take up instructing the British Commandos in 1940. Fairbairn had a wife, son, and daughter. Detective Sergeant (later Inspector) Dermot ‘Pat’ O’Neill Dermot O'Neill was born in 1905 in County Cork, Ireland. As a teenager he traveled to China, and settled in Shanghai. In 1925, at the age of twenty he joined the Shanghai Municipal Police. This police force comprising of 9000 active and reserve officers was task with bringing law and order to the International Settlement. While in Shanghai, O'Neill immersed himself in the study of Asian martial-arts. He was a devoted practitioner of japanese judo, as well as several forms of "Chinese Boxing", these included Tai Chi Chuan, Hsing Yi, and Pa Kua. O'Neill rose through the ranks of the SMP and was promoted to Detective Sergeant and served as a member and instructor of the famed "Shock and Riot Police" task force of the SMP. He was also considered by many to be the protégé of William Ewart Fairbairn. In 1938, O'Neill left Shanghai, and traveled to Tokyo, Japan as head of security for the British Embassy Legation there. During this period O'Neill was awarded the Godan, fifth degree black belt by the kodokan, as well as increasing his martial-arts skills by practicing japanese style "kempo". He left Japan shortly before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and made his way to Australia. O'Neill came to the United States at the behest and recommendation of WE Fairbairn who was at this time involved with the OSS. O'Neill was slated to work for the OSS, but was sent instead to serve as an instructor with the First Special Service Force, a joint Canadian-US commando unit known as the "Devil's Brigade." When the 1st SSF was sent into action, O'Neill refused to stay behind and declared that since he trained these boys he would damn well fight beside them. He held the rank of Captain and one of his duties included the

assignment of being the bodyguard to General Fredericks. After the was in Europe was over, O'Neill was tasked with the position of Provost Marshal over Monte Carlo. As the war with Japan ended O'Neill was sent to Okinawa as a liaison officer. After the war O'Neill served as a consultant on police and security for various Federal agencies, including the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency. In the mid-1960s O'Neill located in the Washington, DC area and began work with the International Police Academy there. This organization was funded by the Agency for International Development and was a cover for para-military operations and training run by the CIA. The Church Committee Hearings on Intelligence Activies brought the close of this academy in the early 1970s. O'Neill was considered a very tough man in his day and had a reputation for not backing down from anyone. His skill in judo was highly praised even at the kodokan. O'Neill had studied under Uchijima, reknowned old time kodokan judo instructor. O'Neill was especially known for his grappling skill. The methods of hand-to-hand combat he devised and taught were greatly effective and such was proven in actual battle numerous times. O'Neill greatly influenced military close-combat for both the US Army and Marine Corps. Dermot O'Neill had been married briefly and had a daughter. He died on August 11, 1985. Patrol Officer and Detectives Most SMP members were uniformed officers, walking the beat in the International Settlement. The majority was Chinese, but many Europeans started out as coppers as well. They differed slightly in their equipment: European officers were issued a .45 Colt M1911A1 pistol with one spare magazine. The Chinese constables were issued a 9×17mm ColtBrowning Model 1903 pistol with two magazines, blocked to take only six rounds. All were issued a baton. In the traffic police department, most officers were Indian Sikhs, who received a .455 Webley No. 1 Mk VI revolver with 12 loose rounds and also carried a traditional fighting stick. The detectives of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were plain-clothes officers and the only policemen allowed to carry their service pistol at all times. Problems with spies for Chinese organized crime and the Japanese, possibly including the Black Dragon Society, were severe both among constables and detectives. Reserve unit Fairbairn formed the Reserve Unit (also known as the Riot Squad) in the 1920s, effectively the world's first SWAT unit. Held in reserve, it was intended to quell riots and uprisings, but was also on call to attend special problems, including kidnappings, armed robberies, and barricaded criminals. In addition, its officers guarded high risk cargos, VIPs, and courthouses when the situation demanded it. The Reserve Unit even had a dedicated sniper detachment, which was trained and led by Fairbairn's close friend, Eric Anthony Sykes (also famous for later training the Commandos). The unit trained in the Mystery House, the original forerunner of today's CQB houses. This was modelled after a Chinese apartment and came with pop-up targets (depicting both friend and foe), audio distractions, etc., intended to train the officers in instinctive and realistic close-combat shooting.

All received thorough unarmed combat training. Most had been trained in Defendu, but quite a few were masters in one or more other styles as well. One of the most proficient was an Irish Detective Sergeant named Dermot "Pat" O'Neill, who was an expert in Hsing Yi, Pakua, and T'ai Chi Chuan, and held a 5th-degree black belt in Jujutsu . . . he later trained the American 1st Special Service Force in WWII. The Reserve Unit was armed with Colt M1911A1 pistols, Auto-Ordnance M1921 Thompson submachine guns, 12-gauge Greener Mk III single-shot shotguns, and .303 Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III bolt-action rifles. Other equipment included bullet-proof vests and Red Maria armored buses. Vehicles The vehicle park of the SMP included Harley-Davidson motorcycles with sidecars and pintlemounted Thompson SMGs, troop buses, and armored cars. The buses bringing the police to emergencies were painted red, whence their name. Those used by the Reserve Unit were lightly armored against stray shots and pistol bullets. These were converted from commercial passenger vehicles. They had doors in the left side and rear, as well as a hatch in the roof. A bell (instead of a siren) and additional headlights (some of them moveable by hand) were also provided. The Red Maria uses 2.25 gallons of gasoline per hour of routine usage. A full tank of gas costs $3.60. Defendu Fairbairn's experience is unparalleled in the annuals of close combat. As a teenager Fairbairn enlisted with the British Royal Marines. During his tour of duty he successfully competed in and developed new methods for bayonet fighting, for which annual international military competitions were held. He also served as part of the legation guard for the British Consul in Seoul, Korea. After his discharge from the Royal Marines, Fairbairn made his way to Shanghai, China and joined the Shanghai Municipal Police force of the International Settlement. Shanghai during this period was considered by most authorities to be the roughest police beat in the world. The International Settlement was an open "port" city that was rife with every imaginable criminal activity and vice. Tong wars, dope smuggling, murder for hire, political assassination, prostitution, kidnapping, and a host of other underworld endeavors made Shanghai one of the most dangerous places in the world. It was this violent and deadly environment that forced W.E. Fairbairn to develop effective and practical methods of survival. Fairbairn had always been considered by his peers to be a "good man in a dust-up" or brawl. His record established the fact that he was already a rough customer in close combat in bayonet fighting while with the British Royal Marines. In Shanghai however, the odds against him proved greater. While on routine foot patrol assigned to one of the notorious "Red light" districts of Shanghai waterfront he fell afoul of a group of Tong members. The Chinese Tong and their infamous "Hatchet-men" were legend for their brutal and lethal manner of dealing with any opposition. Fairbairn was overpowered, severely beaten, and left for dead. After a fairly lengthy recovery, Fairbairn was directed to the services of Professor Okada, a Japanese Jujutsu expert & bonesetter teaching in Shanghai, and at one time, personal instructor to the Emperor of Japan. Prof. Okada's school was situated in a dirty alley down

which Fairbairn passed for the next 3 1/2 years every day. Fairbairn entered into his new found passion completely, determined to never again suffer a similar fate, in great part because he realized the next time he may not be so fortunate. In the years that followed he studied and became proficient in Chinese systems under the direction of Tsai Ching Tung, who at one time was employed at the Imperial Palace, Peking, as an Instructor to the Retainers of the late Dowager Empress. In 1918 Fairbairn applied for entrance to and was accepted by the Kodokan Judo University in Tokyo. Fairbairn received a 3rd degree brown belt in January 1919, a 1st degree black belt in February 1926 and a 2nd degree black belt in February 1931. Fairbairn's certificates are signed by Jigoro Kano. Throughout his over thirty year career with S.M.P., Fairbairn not only made an in depth study of almost every known form of close-combat, but was also able to test these methods in actual combat against determined and often armed criminals who would rather kill an officer and make good an escape than be captured and face almost certain execution. Fairbairn rose through the ranks and was charged with the duty of instructing firearms and hand-to-hand combat. He revised completely the firearms training previously employed and instituted a method, which reflected actual conditions of real gun-fighting. In 1920, Fairbairn took an extended leave, during which time he was attached as a captain to the New York City Police Department for a ten-week period of observation. During this period he participated in everything from routine patrol duty to major gambling raids, in order to absorb as much as he could. His innovations in unarmed combat were taught not only to the nine thousand (9000) officers of the Shanghai Police, but also the famed 4th Marine Regiment known as the "China" Marines. He founded, developed, trained, and headed the Shanghai Riot Squad called the Reserve Unit (RU). This was the first ever Special Weapons & Tactics Unit, and served as the prototype for today's S.W.A.T., and S.R.T. teams. Along with his friend and colleague Eric Anthony Sykes (reserve officer in the S.M.P. chief of the Riot Squad Sniper unit, and later Major with the British Army assigned as close-combat instructor for the Commandos and Special Operation), and then Lieutenant Samuel Yeaton (U.S.M.C.), Fairbairn began work on the prototypes of what would become the most famous combat knife in the world, the F/S fighting knife. Fairbairn's career with the S.M.P. came to a close in 1940. He retired with the rank of Assistant Commissioner. During his tenure of over three decades he had been involved with hundreds upon hundreds of violent clashes between Mao Tse Tungs communist "Red" army and Chiang Kai Shek's "Kumontong" forces. He had seen the invasion of China by the Japanese and the bloody and brutal siege of Shanghai and the surrounding provinces by the Imperial Japanese Army. He had worked closely with the S.M.P. "Special Branch"; an intelligence gathering unit that operated covertly throughout Shanghai. It was with this tremendous amount of experience and real-world savvy that Fairbairn would enter into the next phase of his life. Fairbairn returned to England in 1940. England was at war with Nazi Germany and was hanging on by a thread. The devastation of Dunkirk, and North Africa, and soon to be felt defeat in the Far East by Japanese forces, would render Great Britain almost incapable of fighting a conventional war. It was the genius and steely resolve of Sir Winston Churchill that would pave the way for W.E. Fairbairn to once again put his talents and knowledge to excellent use.

Churchill's declaration to "set Europe ablaze" was the war cry of the neophyte covert and Special Forces operations that would strike at the Nazi forces with daring and deadly speed, guile, and audacity. Fairbairn was tasked with the responsibility of turning these men into deadly foes at Close-quarters. Fairbairn and Sykes, as well as other former Shanghai Police officers who were likewise expert in Fairbairn's methods were assigned as instructors to various elite forces and covert intelligence units. These included the numerous Commando units, Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6), Special Operations Executive (SOE), Royal Marines, and the "Paras", as well as giving special instruction to the British Home Guard. Fairbairn and Sykes taught not only unarmed combat, and small arms, but devised a number of nasty methods for dealing with an enemy which were classified under the heading of "Silent Killing". In March 1942, Fairbairn was ordered to temporary duty, assigned to Canada, where at the behest of the BSC (British Security Co-ordinator) he taught his methods to covert operatives at Camp X, [also know as Special Training School No. 103]. While Fairbairn was at Camp X, Sykes remained in England engaged as a supervisor to SOE personnel engaged in underground action, sabotage, espionage, and assassination in German occupied Europe. Soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States entry into the war against the axis powers, Fairbairn was engaged in instructing U.S. personnel at a secret training camp in Maryland, known as Area B (some suggest that was already taking place before the official declaration of war). This camp was one of several "schools" that were set up to train covert operatives assigned to the Office of Strategic Services. For a time Fairbairn divided his schedule between Camp X, and Area B in Maryland. Soon, however, the O.S.S. would have him full time. Fairbairn's contributions to the field of close combat are numerous. Virtually every allied military force adopted his methods. These included the U.S. Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, Paratroopers, Marine Raiders & Scouts, (ONI) Office of Naval Intelligence, (CIC) Counter Intelligence Corps), (MID) Military Intelligence Division and the First Special Service Force, also know as the "Devil's Brigade" or "Black Devil's", (taught by former S.M.P. Detective Sergeant and Fairbairn's protégé (Capt. Dermot M. "Pat" O'Neill). Another driving force in close combat during this period was Fairbairn's U.S. counterpart Colonel Rex Applegate. Col. Applegate was given the specific job of learning all there was to learn about close-quarter combat. Col. Applegate is responsible for numerous innovations in all fields of Close Combat, armed and unarmed. His work at the Military Intelligence Training Center (MITC) which adjoined Area B is legend. As the war ended, Fairbairn was 60 years of age. In the mid-1950's, he found himself in Singapore, employed by the Singapore Police to create a riot squad. In 1956, at the age of 71 he was employed in Cyprus, by the Cyprus Police, teaching riot work, point shooting, authoring a riot manual, and developing a bulletproof shield he called the "STONE". It was also while working in Cyprus, that Fairbairn introduced a new knife that he had been working on for sometime, to be used for riot work. Fairbairn called his new knife the "COBRA" fighting knife. His interest in this weapon, and the system of knife fighting it supported, continued after he left Cyprus, and returned to England, and occupied his time up until his death. William Ewart Fairbairn died at his home in England on June 20th, 1960. To put it simply, Fairbairn's methods worked. His system of unarmed combat made it possible for a person of average strength and skills to meet and win against a highly trained opponent

in the martial arts. His unparalleled experience with knife attacks and attacks with blunt instruments, unlikely to be duplicated in this day and age, proved a sound basis for instruction in the use of or defense against edged weapons, batons and clubs. His theories of closequarter use of the gun represent the first systematic approach to combat pistol-craft ever devised, and remains valid to this very day. The same may be said for his riot work, his concepts of countersniping, and his development of the police role in urban combat. WWII was the Zenith of all methods of Close-Quarters Combat. The contributions made by these men are of enormous value to us today. Methods of close combat that were battle tested and have been proven effective under conditions of actual combat are obviously of great importance to anyone seeking realistic and effective training in personal combat.

French Police
The SMP was only responsible for the International Settlement; there were not only several other agencies responsible for other parts of Shanghai, but the extra-territoriality of the International Settlement meant that law enforcement agencies of the "favored nations" could also exercise certain police functions, if only over their own nationals. However, there was little to none co-operation between the agencies; for much of the 1920s, there was not even a single telephone line between the SMP and the French Concession Police! Garde Municipale de la Concession Française (French Concession Police) The French Concession had its own police force, consisting of 250 French officers, several dozen French and Chinese detectives, 1,800 Chinese policemen, 1,200 Vietnamese guardsmen, and a heavily armed auxiliary unit composed of 500 Russian mercenaries. Patrol officers and detectives were armed with a 9×17mm FN-Browning Mle 1910/22 pistol. The Brigade Spéciale (Special Brigade) was the anti-riot unit and consisted of 250 tall Northern Chinese armed with riot staffs, 9×20mmSR FN-Browning Mle 1903 pistols, .45 Auto-Ordnance Mle 1921 submachine guns, and 7.92×57mm Mauser Mle 1898 rifles. They also had armored buses. The Détachment Auxiliaire Russe (Russian Auxiliary Detachment) was armed like the special brigade, but also had armored cars with 8×50mmR Hotchkiss Mle 09 machine guns . Finally, there was the Police Spéciale Française (French Special Police), a mobilization unit composed of French citizen volunteers that could be called upon in emergencies. These were armed with a 7.63×25mm Mauser Mle 1896 pistol.

Nihon Ryoji Keisatsu (Japanese Consular Police)
The Japanese consulate had a large police force (250 men, all expert martial artists) to protect Japan's interests. While they didn't interfere with the SMP in general, they did on occasion arrest their own nationals on warrants issued by the Japanese authorities, without consulting with the SMP. Japanese officers were armed with a saber-style sword (not the katana) and an 8×21mm Nambu Taishō 14 Shiki pistol.

U.S. Marshal
A U.S. Marshal (and several deputies) was attached to the U.S. Court for China. He served warrants to arrest American citizens, without needing to consult with the SMP.

The Green Gang
The Ch'ing Pang (Green Gang) secret society was a huge criminal organization comparable in many respects to the Sicilian mafia. It was the true power in Shanghai, its various factions controlling practically all aspects of criminal life, including the vast profits of the illegal opium trade, the gambling rackets, prostitution, weapon smuggling, extortion, kidnapping, murder, etc. The Pai Hsiang Jen (gangster-playboys) leading the numerous factions were wealthy, powerful individuals at the time often compared to the gangster bosses in Chicago. They saw themselves in the tradition of Chinese legendary warrior heroes, with a rigid code of honor and elaborate society structure and rules.

For much of the first half of the 20th century, they held Shanghai in their grip, only occasionally bothered by local police. Many Chinese police officers in all three parts of the city were members, and the French Concession actually had a secret deal with the gangs, which offered protection against the warlords outside of Shanghai in exchange for nonprosecution. For example, the chief of the SMP's Chinese detective squad was also the leader of the Ta Pa Ku Tang (Big Eight Mob), a powerful organization within the Green Gang, until removed in 1923. There was even a secret society made up solely of Chinese detectives working both in the French Concession and the International Settlement, the Chi Pai Ling Pa Chiang . This, too, was part of the Green Gang. In short, corruption among the police corps was widespread and rampant. http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=4778 13/06/09

W.E. Fairbairn even made a Comic Book appearance in Real Heroes, no. 8 (Jan. 1943): "He Teaches Commandos to Get Tough" p. 47-48

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