Ching Shih – the most successful pirate in history

Ching Shih was a powerful pirate lord who lived between 1775 and 1844. This woman is considered to be the most successful pirate in history. Under her command her fleet engaged in conflict with the major nations of the time including the British Empire, Qing dynasty and Portuguese Empire. Yet how did this woman who started life as a prostitute rise to such power?

Unfortunately, not a lot is known about Ching Shih’s early life. We do know she was born in Guangdong province China in 1775 under the name Shih Yang. She worked in a floating brothel as a prostitute in Canton under the nickname Shih Heang Koo. It was while working here a pirate captain Zhèng Yi who commanded the notorious Red Flag Fleet noticed Ching Shih’s beauty and desired to be with her. There is some debate as to how Zhèng Yi and Ching Shih came to be married which has sadly been lost to history. Some believe it was as a result of Zhèng Yi ordering a raid on the brothel, while others believe it was a formal proposal on the condition Ching Shih would have some power within his fleet and obtain a share of the plunder. However, it happened, Ching Shih and Zhèng Yi began to lead the Red Flag Fleet together as husband and wife.

Under the couple’s leadership the Red Flag Fleet grew from 200 ships to more than 600, then growing even further under the Cantonese Pirate Coalition with former rivalling pirate fleets. Upon Zhèng Yi’s death on the 16^th November 1807 in Vietnam, only 6 years after their marriage presented Ching Shih an opportunity to rise to become a pirate lord herself. She could have stepped down allowing Zhèng Yi’s second in command to take control, however not wanting to return to a life of prostitution and herself craving glory took charge by obtaining the support of her husband’s most powerful family members. 

Once Ching Shih has taken control of the fleet she began the task of uniting the fleet by issuing a code of laws. This included all plunder having to be presented to the fleet before it could be distributed. Disobeying orders was punishable by beheading on the spot and no one was allowed to steal from villages that supplied their fleet. Furthermore Ching Shih set strict rules regarding the treatment of captured prisoners especially female ones. Any female captives who were considered “ugly” were to be released unharmed. But any pirate who wished to take a captive as his wife was free to do so as long as he remained faithful. Unfaithfulness and rape were both punishable by execution under her command.

Ching Shih and the Red Flag Fleet took control over many coastal villages stretching from Macau to Canton. Ching Shih was nicknamed “the Terror of South China” as she robbed towns, abducted people and executed others. She even had cruel punishments for those who resisted her, such as nailing rebels feet to her ship’s deck and beating them. The Chinese government in an attempt to defeat her engaged in a series of battles which ultimately led to Ching Shih taking over the government ships. Ching Shih’s reputation was growing as people believed she could not be defeated by the Qing dynasty, British or Portuguese.

Due to the appearance that they could not be defeated, the Chinese offered amnesty to all pirates in a hope of ending Ching Shih’s reign. In 1809 Ching Shih finally began to suffer a series of defeats at the hands of the Portuguese Navy at the Battle of the Tiger’s Mouth. In their final battle in 1810 at Chek Lap Kok the Red Flag Fleet surrendered to the Portuguese and took the amnesty offered by the Qing Imperial Government, which also allowed her to keep any loot they had obtained over the previous year.

Ching Shih gave birth to a son in 1813 and a daughter later on. In 1822 Ching Shih moved the family to Macau and opened a gambling house and brothel while also joining the salt trade. Later in her life she served as advisor to Lin Zexu during the First Opium War in battling the British Military in 1839. She reached the end of her life in her bed surrounded by her family in 1844 and the age of 69 having lived an extraordinary life in a very rags to riches story.

 

(Disclaimer – I do not own the images used in this article, they are purely for educational purposes and the rights belong to the original artists)

Walther Wenck “The Boy General”

Walther Wenck was the youngest General of the branch in the German Army and a staff Officer during World War Two.

He was born on the 18^th September 1900 in Wittenberg. In 1919 he joined the Paramilitary group Freikorps and in 1920 joined the Army of the Weimar Republic. During 1939 until 1942, Wench was Chief of Operations for the 1^st Panzer Division. In 1942 he was an instructor at the War Academy, chief of staff for the LVII Corps, and then the 3^rd Romanian Army on the Eastern Front.

In 1944 he was made chief of staff of Army Group South Ukraine, it was here that he first got the attention of Adolf Hitler with his report on conditions on the Eastern Front saying “As you see my Fuhrer, the Eastern Front in like Swiss cheese, full of holes”. He was reprimanded for using informal language but Hitler commended the “liveliness” of his report!

On the 10^th April 1945, Wenck was appointed commander of the German Twelfth Army in the west of Berlin to guard against the advancing American and British forces. However, as the allies made gains in the Western and Eastern fronts towards Berlin, the German’s lines were backed toward each other. As a result, Wenck’s army’s area of control to his rear and East of the Elbe River had become a vast refugee camp for German civilians fleeing the Soviets in the East. Wenck took great pains to provide food and shelter for the refugees and at one stage the Twelfth Army was feeding more than a quarter of a million people every day.

On 22^nd April 1945 and the Battle of Berlin raged, SS-General Felix Steiner retreated leaving Wenck’s Twelfth Army as Hitler’s last hope of saving Berlin. Wenck was ordered to disengage the Allied forces to his west and attack east, linking up with the Ninth Army to battle the Soviets encircling Berlin. Wenck’s forces met heavy Soviet resistance outside Potsdam and neither the 9^th or 12^th armies were able to progress towards Berlin. However, Wenck’s eastward attack toward Berlin had also been aimed specifically at providing the population and garrison at Berlin with an escape route to areas occupied by Western Allied forces.

On the night of April 28^th Wenck reported to the German Supreme Army Command that his Army had been forced back and that no attack on Berlin was possible. Instead, Wenck moved his forces towards the forest of Halbe and linked up with the remnants of the Ninth Army. “Comrades, you’ve got to go in once more” Wenck said, “It’s not about Berlin anymore, it’s not about the Reich anymore”. Their task was to save the people from the fighting and advancing Soviets. Wenck’s actions successfully evacuated tens of thousands of troops and civilians across the Elbe River to safety and surrender to Western forces, with Wenck himself being the last one who crossed the river.

John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford

John de Vere was born on 8^th September 1442, he was the second son of John de Vere 12^th Earl of Oxford and Elizabeth Howard.

In February 1462, his elder brother Aubrey de Vere was convicted of high treason before John Tiptoft, 1^st Earl of Worcester and Constable of England for plotting against King Edward IV.

King Edward allowed for John de Vere to succeed his father as Earl of Oxford. On May 26th 1465 he was named a Knight of the Bath at the coronation of King Edward’s wife Elizabeth Woodville. He was officiated at the ceremony as both Lord Great Chamberlain, due to the absence of the Earl of Warwick who held the current position, and as Chamberlain to the Queen.

In 1468 he was committed to the Tower of London and confessed to plotting with the Lancastrians against the King. However, he was released and given a general pardon on the 5^th April 1469.

By July 1469 Oxford had joined with the discontented Yorkists led by his Brother-in-Law, The Earl of Warwick and the King’s brother the Duke of Clarence. Oxford fled overseas to the court of King Henry VI’s Wife Margaret of Anjou.

In September 1470 Oxford joined with Warwick and Clarence in the invasion of England which restored Henry VI to the throne. De Vere was appointed Lord High Constable of England and on the 15^th October, he tried and condemned the Earl of Worcester for high treason. The same Earl who, in 1462, condemned his Brother.

In March 1471, Oxford prevented Edward IV’s army from landing in Norfolk and was in command of the right wing at the Battle of Barnet on the 14^th April 1471, defeating the forces of Lord Hastings. However, these early successes turned to disaster when Oxford’s men started pillaging. Oxford tried to lead them back to the fight but due to the fog they lost their way, emerging on their own forces who mistook Oxford Vere Star as Edward’s Sun. They were met with a volley of arrows from their own side.

After this defeat, Oxford fled to Scotland with only 40 men and his two brothers and was stripped of his lands and titles. He set off from here to France to collect ships and engaged in privateering. On 28^th May 1473 Oxford attempted to land unsuccessfully at St Osyth in Essex. However on 30^th September 1473 he took St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. He was besieged here for many months. During this time most of his men deserted and Oxford was wounded in the face by and arrow. He finally surrendered on 15^th February 1474.

After his capture he was imprisoned at Hammes Castle in Calais in 1475. In 1478 Oxford scaled the walls of Hammes and leapt into the moat. The new king of England Richard III ordered Oxford’s transfer to England, but before this could take place Oxford has escaped and joined the Earl of Richmond.

At the Battle of Bosworth Oxford commanded Henry VII’s vanguard and archers using a formation called the Oxford wedge. This penetrated Richard III’s army in the shape of an arrow, as well as holding Richmond’s vanguard in fierce fighting in which the Duke of Norfolk, who led Richard’s troops, was slain.

Oxford was immediately recognised as one of the great men of Henry VII’s regime. He was restored to his estates and titles and received many appointments, these included Lord Admiral, Chief Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster and Constable of the Tower of London. He was also appointed as the first Captain of the Yeoman of the Guard. He was sworn into the Privy Council and was recognised as Lord Great Chamberlain of England. As Chamberlain, he officiated the coronations of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. By 1486 he was made a member of the Order of the Garter and stood as Godfather to the Kings eldest son Arthur, Prince of Wales.

Oxford continued fighting for Henry VII and led the Vanguard at Stoke during the final battle of the Wars of the Roses in 1487. He was also one of the commanders against the Cornish Rebels at Blackheath in 1497.

When King Henry VIII ascended to the throne, Oxford continued in high favour and again was the Lord Great Chamberlain for his coronation. He resided at Castle Hedingham in Essex, adding to the 12^th Century keep.

Oxford died on the 10^th March 1513 at Castle Hedingham. He was succeeded as Earl by his Nephew as he had had no sons of his own.

 

 

(I do not own the rights to the images used, they are artist’s impressions)

 

Women at War

With the UK recently allowing women into combat roles, we decided to take a look at the role of a few women in conflicts throughout history as this is not a new thing. For as long as conflicts have occurred, women have fought and died alongside men. The following post will be highlighting some of these events and individuals from antiquity to modern day.

Lady Fu Hao

During the 13^th Century BC in China, King Wu Ding was known for forming alliances by marrying a woman from each of the neighbouring tribes, one of these 60 wives was Lady Fu Hao. She took advantage of this marriage and slave-society and rose through the ranks, even leading troops into battle. The Shang Dynasty had been at war with the Tu-Fang for decades until they were defeated by Fu Hao in one decisive battle. She also led soldiers in the following wars against the neighbouring Yi, Qiang and Ba. Fu Hao became the most powerful military leader of the time.

Amage the Sarmatian Queen

 

Amage was the wife of the Sarmatian King Medosaccus in the 4^th Century BC. Polyaenus writes that her husband was more interested in luxury and himself than the country, and as such Amage took over as regent. The Scythians kept sending raiding parties into the Crimea (the Bosporan Kingdom was then an ally of the Sarmatians). Amage sent a message to the Scythian king to cease harassing her people. He ignored her request and she marched 120 warriors to the Scythian camp covering 140 miles in one day. When Amage arrived they took the Scythians by surprise, Amage’s troops killed the King, most of his family and guards only sparing the King’s son because he took an oath to obey her and to not continue the assault on her allies.

Queen Zenobia

Zenobia was a queen of the Palmyrene Empire during the 3^rd Century in Syria, who led a revolt against the Roman Empire. After her husband’s death in 267 she became ruler and expanded the empire, having conquered Egypt and expelling the Romans by the year 269. She ruled Egypt for 3 years until she was defeated in 271 by the Romans.

 

Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians

Æthelflæd was the eldest daughter of King Alfred the Great of Wessex. She became the ruler of the Mercia in 911 and was known as a formidable military leader and tactician during the Viking invasions of England. She built a series of fortresses in the West Midlands and by allying herself with her brother, King Edward of Wessex, she was able to move against the occupying Danes in the South of England.

Ida of Austria

Ida of Austria raised and led her own army towards Jerusalem during the Crusades of 1101, she and her army were among those ambushed at Heraclea Cybistra. It is reported that she fell in the attack.

 

 

Maire o Ciaragain

Maire was an Irish warlord from Armagh in the 15^th Century. She led the Irish clans in revolt against the English Pale as well as the Earldom or Leinster and the Earldom of Ulster.

Abbakka Chowta

Abbakka was the Queen of Ullal who fought the Portuguese in the 16^th Century. The Portuguese made numerous attempts to capture Ullal but Abbakka was able to defeat each of their attacks for over four decades. Due to her bravery she became known as the Fearless Queen and is one of the earliest Indians to fight the colonial Powers.

Maria Wittek

Maria Wittek served in the Polish Army and associated organisations since she was 18 years old. During the Invasion of Poland in 1939 she was the commanding officer of the Women’s Military Assistance Battalions. She fought in the Warsaw Uprising and was promoted to Lt.Colonel. After the Warsaw Uprising was defeated she avoided being taken prisoner by the Germans and left the ruins of Warsaw among the Civilians.

 

There are of course thousands more examples of Women actively serving in conflicts from all around the world, but we’ve tried t0 highlight some of the least well known stories in this topic.

Eric Stanley Lock DSO, DFC & Bar

Eric Lock was born on the 19^th April 1919 in Bayston Hill, England. Lock had his first flying experience when he was 14 years of age as a birthday gift from his father.

During 1939 with the prospect of war breaking out and the possibility he would have been called up to serve, Lock made the decision that he would rather serve as an airman. He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve at the age of 20. It was only after three months that he was called up and began his flight training.

As of September 1939 at the outbreak of World War Two, Lock joined the RAF as a Sergeant Pilot where he undertook further training at RAF Little Rissington’s Flying School. In May 1940 he became a commissioned Pilot Officer and was assigned to Number 41 Squadron at RAF Catterick in North Yorkshire.

Eric Lock married his girlfriend Peggy Meyers in July 1940 before returning to his unit and soon began combat patrols over the North of England.

This was largely defending British Airspace against Luftflotte 5 who were operating out of occupied Norway. Number 41 Squadron mostly remained out of the main conflict of the early stages of the Battle of Britain.

By the 15^th August 1940 the Luftwaffe attempted to stretch fighter command by sending fighter aircraft to attack the North of England which they believed to be mostly undefended. It was in this battle that Lock won his first victory shooting down a Bf 110 heavy fighter.

In September 1940 Number 41 Squadron was redeployed to RAF Hornchurch in Essex due to a need for more fighter aircraft in the South of England. On the 5^th September he successfully shot down two Heinkel He 111s, but upon following the second Heinkel down, he came under fire from a Messerschmitt Bf 109, damaging his Spitfire and wounding his leg.

The following day he ignored medical advice and the pain in his leg, as he took to the skies again and shot down a Ju 88 along with 2 Bf 109s and a Bf 110 on the 9^th September. These brought his total number of victories to 9 enemy aircraft destroyed, earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Lock continued his performance against Axis aircraft, winning an additional 15 victories throughout the Battle of Britain earning him the Medal Bar for his Distinguished Flying Cross. Number 41 Squadron were given 4 weeks’ rotation rest after this intense period.

They returned to RAF Hornchurch at the start of October 1940. Lock’s victories continued soon after, winning on the 5^th October and the 9^th October. He shot down an additional 2 Bf 109’s on the 11^th October and 20^th October bringing his kill score up to 21, making him the most successful allied ace of the Battle of Britain.

Unfortunately, within six months of becoming one of the most famous plots of the RAF, his Spitfire crash landed in the English Channel after being damaged by ground fire. He was posted Missing in Action on the 3^rd August 1941 and was never seen again.