Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Wang Ch'eng-pin

Marshal Wang Ch'eng-pin

王承斌字孝伯

Marshal Wang Ch'eng-pin was born at Hsing-cheng Hsien, Fengtien Province, in 1874. He graduated from both the Peiyang Military School and the Imperial Military University. In the Ching Dynasty, Marshal Wang served in the Third Imperial Division as Junior Staff Officer. Later he was promoted to be Chief Staff Officer of the Fifth Mixed Brigade of the Imperial Army. During the First Revolution in the winter of 1911-12, Marshal Wang's troops were in charge of the defence of Shihchiachuang and other important places along the Chengtingfu-Taiyuanfu Railway rendering valuable service in maintaining the order and peace in that part of the country. In 1912, the First Year of the Republic, Marshal Wang was promoted to be Commander of the 11th Regiment, the 6th Brigade, the Third Division of the National Army. In February 1913 Marshai Wang was made a Colonel. In April 1913 he was awarded the Third Class Wenhu Decoration and also given the brevet rank of major General. In 1914 Marshal Wang's troops were engaged in the suppression of bandits in Hunan and was later made a Brigadier-Genereal. In 1915-16 Marshal Wang was in the Upper Yangtzu Region commanding government troops for the relief of Szechuan which was about to fall into the hands of the southern leaders. The late General Tsai Ao, the Hero of the Yunnan Revolt against Yuan Shih-kai's monarchical movement, considered Marshal Wang as one of China's best military commanders. In April 1916 Marshal Wang was promoted to be Commander of the Extra Brigade of the Third Division. In May he was awarded the Fifth Order of Merit; the Fourth Class Chiaho Decoration; and the brevet rank of Lieutenant-General. In March 1917 Marshal Wang became the Commander of the First Mixed Brigade of Chihli. His troops participates in the overthrow of the Monarchical Restoration attempted by the late General Chang Hsun in July 1917. Subsequently he was awarded the Fourth Order of Merit. During the food in the Autumn of 1917, Marshal Wang's troops saved the city of Cho Hsien, Chihli, from being inundated by untiringly fighting against the water, under his personal supervision. A monument erected by the people inside the city as an expression of their gratitu le for Marshal Wang: Meanwhile the country was having a civil strife between the North and the South, the province of Hunan having been taken by the southern leaders. In January 1918 Marshal Tsao Kun was appointed Commander-in-Chief of an Expedition Force to fight the south in Hunan and Hupei. This force included Marshal Wang's troops which were later responsible for the recapture of the several important cities in Hanan Province. In August 1918 Marshal Wu Pei-fei, then commanding the Third Division in the Northern, Hunan, demanded the Peking government to cease waging war against the south, and also expressed the wish of having all the Chihli Troops withdrawn from the south. In taking this strong attitude, Marshal Wu had the full support of Marshal Wang who had much moral influence over the other senior commanders of the Chihli troops. Some later Marshal Wang's Mixed Brigade was transferred back to Caihli and he was awarded the Third Order of Merit. In 1919 he was a Lieutenant-General and was also given the Second Class Chisho, the Second Class Wenhu and the Third Class Paokuang Chiaho Decorations. During the Chihli-Anfu War in July 1920, Marshal Wang's Mixed Brigade was stationed at Chengchow, Honan. He took part in this war as Commander-in-Chief of the Rear Forces of Chihli Defence. At that time there were as many as five mixed brigades of the Frontier Army under General Hsu Shu-tseng, the leader of the Anfu Faction, in Honan. Marshal Wang personally convinced the commanders of these brigades of the serious consequence if they should take any offense against the Chihli farce there and finally made them to surrender their armus and these troops were subsequently disbanded without causing the slightest trouble. In October 1920 Marshal Wang was given the Second Order of Merit. In December when the Chihli troops were re-organized he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the 23rd Division of the National Army. In November 1921 Marshal Wang was made a Chiangchun with “I-Wei" as special title. In February 1922 he was given the Second Class Paokuang Chiabo Decoration. In April 1922 he was appointed Deputy Military Director of Chihli. During the Chihli-Fengtien War in May 1922, Marshal Wang was Commander-in Chief of the Chihli Eastern Frank. His 23rd Division, part of which was stationed at Tsang Hsien on the Tientsin-Pukow Railway, and part at Lang-fang on the Peking-Tientsin Line, played an important part in the campaign against the Fengtien troops. Previous to this war, Marshal Wang visited Marshal Chang Tsu-ling, the Fengtien War Lord, at Mukden three times trying to bring Chihli and Fengtien to an understanding and to avoid an open conflict between them. In June 1922 Marshal Wang was appointed Civil Governor of Chihli. In September 1922 he was given the brevet rank of Full General. In October he was given the First Class Tashou Paokuang Chiaho. In November he was made a Full General. In October 1923 Marshal Wang was appointed concurrently to hold the post of Military Director of Chihli to replace that of Tuchun which was then abolished. In November he was made a Shan Chiangchun, Marshal, with “Kuang-Wu' as his special title and was simultaneously appointed Depuuty High Inspecting Commission of Chihli-Honan-Shantung. In January 1924 Marshal Wang was relieved of the command of the 23rd Division. In April he was appointed assistant director of the Motor Traffic Highroad Constitution Administration for the Chihli-Honan-Shantung Area. Marshal Wang is at present holding the posts of Deputy High Inspecting Commissioner of Chihli-Honan-Shantung and of the Civil Governor of Chihli. In September 1924 General Wang was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Punitive Expedition against Chang Tso-lang. Following the defeat of the Chihli Armies General Wang retired to Tientsin where he is now living.