COLONEL THOMS RETIRES

Southland Times, Issue 22215, 6 January 1934, Page 10

COLONEL THOMS RETIRES

SHANGHATS COMMANDANT. FORMER ANZAC. Shanghai, December 22. Colonel N. W. B. B. Thoms, a former Anzac, and commandant for three years of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, the most international defence force in the world, is retiring from military service. The corps is representative of twenty different nationalities, co-oper-ating for the sole purpose of the maintenance of foreign trading interests. There was a spectacular and representative military parade when Colonel Thoms said farewell to the men who were largely responsible for the. defence of the city durin. the critical Sino-Japanese conflict last year. “Anzac” Thoms, as he is familiarly known, was the recipient of a handsome presentation, made on behalf of the corps by a Chinese, Major Zee. This indicated the full international spirit of Shanghai’s volunteer defenders.

Captain Thoms landed at Gallipoli as a staff officer on the administrative headquarters of Sir Alexander Godley, who commanded the New Zealand division. He went to France with the New Zealanders, was promoted major in 1916, and was brigadier-major of the First New Zealand Brigade when he was wounded in the fighting at Gravenstafel.