В. Н. Ефремов. Воспоминания. Россия – Китай
Shanghai, October 1939
I was born in April 1895 at Novocherkassk, Don Province. 1914 I graduated classic school and entered The Nikolai Cavalry Academy in Petrograd. In October 1915 I joined The Army as a Cossack Sub-Lieutenant and being promoted Lieutenant in 1917 after The revolution started, went to Tashkent when my parents were at that time.
In 1918 I escaped from Russia to China and joined the anti-bolshevik forces under Admiral Kolchak in Kulja, Sin Kiang province. After the defeat of Admiral Kolchak in 1919 I went to Tihwa-fu The Capital of Sin-Kiang province, and in 1920 – to Langchow-fu – capital of Kansu province.
In 1921 I arrived to Peking from where I proceeded to Keijo (Chosen) in August of the same year, where my sister and her husband, Mr. S. V. Tchirkine, resided. Mr Tchirkine was until 1913 Russian Vice-Consul in Keijo and at present time is employed in The Chosen Railway Administration (Tetsando).
In Keijo became a Teacher of The Russian language in The Military Staff Foreign Language School (Kaikoska) and a Commercial School (Jen Rin Iakko) both in Rinzan.
In 1922 I obtained a position in gold mine (Chosen Syndicate Ltd – Heian Hakudo) where I worked for 6 years until 1928. In 1928 went to Mukden (Hoten) where I worked for four years with L. Rondou & Co., Ltd., a French commercial firm. In 1932 this firm closed and I came to Shanghai where I joined the French Municipal Police. For the following two and half years I worked in the Political Department and four years in Cultral and Foch Stations. In December 1938 I was grauted long leave and decided to Change my job. In January, 1939 I applied for a position in the River Police, Chinese Maritime Customs. My application was approved and I served in the River Police until April of the same year, when I was discharged. At the time of discharge I was assured that the first vacancy in the River Police will be given to me.
Apart from my mother tongue I speak, read and write English and French, speak German and a little Japanese.
Basil N. Efremoff 8/67 Pere Robert Tel. 76123.
