Camillo Ricchiardi
Encyclopedia
Giuseppe Camillo Pietro Richiardi or Ricchiardi (Alba
, 1865 – Casablanca
, 1940) was an Italian journalist
, adventurer and soldier
.
, then he was commissioned as a Sottotenente in the Genova Cavalleria Regiment and later promoted to Tenente in the Piemonte Cavalleria Regiment. After six years of service he asked for a discharge and, thanks to his connections to Colonnello Girolamo Emilio Gerini, a military advisor in Siam (now Thailand
), he moved there and took up the organization of the local army and the education of one of the King’s sons. He also worked as a war correspondent
, sending reports from China
and Ethiopia (some speculate he might have took part to the battle of Adua
). In 1895 he joined General Emilio Aguinaldo
as a mercenary
in his struggle for the independence of the Philippines
from Spain
.
and became a trusted friend of Boer
General Louis Botha
. Subsequently, Ricchiardi took command of the “Italian Volunteer Legion
”, a 200-men-strong outfit almost entirely composed by Italians, including immigrants in the Veld
and ex-soldiers who had served in the Regio Esercito or under Giuseppe Garibaldi
(oddly enough his son Ricciotti
supported the Boers, while his grandson Peppino
found himself on the British side).
Under Ricchiardi’s leadership this unit (also known as the "Latin Brigade" or the "Italian Legion") became distinguished for their close-knitness and skill in performing reconnaissance and other tasks required by asymmetric warfare
. It was not only the bravery of the Italian Legion that made him famous, but also his charisma and chivalric attitude toward the enemy: for instance he used to send the personal belongings of British casualties to their families along with a letter of condolences. However, some of his men were full-blown rogues and at times Ricchiardi had to reinstate discipline with stern (but not bloody) measures.
The first successful operation carried out by the Italian Legion was the capture of an armoured train
near Chieveley, Natal. Among the passengers who were taken prisoners there was young journalist Winston Churchill
, whose life Ricchiardi spared by pretending not to see him dumping his pistol
and dum-dum
ammo which had been declared unlawful on pain of death. Upon his return to England, Churchill did not mention having been captured by Italians.
During his stay in South Africa, Ricchiardi married Hannah Guttman, Paul Kruger
’s granddaughter, who he had met in the Pretoria
Military Hospital while recuperating from serious leg wounds he had suffered at the battle of Tugela
. Upon his return to Italy he was busy organizing pro-Boer committees and narrating his adventures in a series of books.
where he was appointed administrator of a colony of Boer refugees in Chubut
.
In 1923 he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage depriving him of the use of various bodily functions. His last years were spent with his family in Casablanca
, Morocco
, where he died on 21 January 1940 and where he now lies buried.
Alba
Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
, 1865 – Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, 1940) was an Italian journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, adventurer and soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
.
Early life
Born to Giovanni and Rosa (née Volpino), he attended the Modena Military Academy and the Cavalry School in PineroloPinerolo
Pinerolo is a town and comune in north-western Italy, 40 kilometres southwest of Turin on the river Chisone.-History:In the Middle Ages, the town of Pinerolo was one of the main crossroads in Italy, and was therefore one of the principal fortresses of the dukes of Savoy. Its military importance...
, then he was commissioned as a Sottotenente in the Genova Cavalleria Regiment and later promoted to Tenente in the Piemonte Cavalleria Regiment. After six years of service he asked for a discharge and, thanks to his connections to Colonnello Girolamo Emilio Gerini, a military advisor in Siam (now Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
), he moved there and took up the organization of the local army and the education of one of the King’s sons. He also worked as a war correspondent
War correspondent
A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...
, sending reports from China
Sino-Japanese War
There were two wars known as the Sino-Japanese War :* The First Sino-Japanese War between China and Japan , primarily over control of Korea....
and Ethiopia (some speculate he might have took part to the battle of Adua
Battle of Adowa
The Battle of Adwa was fought on 1 March 1896 between Ethiopia and Italy near the town of Adwa, Ethiopia, in Tigray...
). In 1895 he joined General Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
as a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
in his struggle for the independence of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Participation in the Anglo-Boer War
In 1899 he moved to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and became a trusted friend of Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
General Louis Botha
Louis Botha
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
. Subsequently, Ricchiardi took command of the “Italian Volunteer Legion
Italian Volunteer Legion
The Italian Volunteer Legion was an expatriate military unit which took part in the Anglo-Boer War, raised and led by soldier and adventurer Camillo Ricchiardi on behalf of General Louis Botha.-Prior events: Italian immigration to South Africa:...
”, a 200-men-strong outfit almost entirely composed by Italians, including immigrants in the Veld
Veld
The term Veld refers primarily to the wide open rural spaces of South Africa or southern Africa and in particular to certain flatter areas or districts covered in grass or low scrub...
and ex-soldiers who had served in the Regio Esercito or under Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
(oddly enough his son Ricciotti
Ricciotti Garibaldi
thumb|Ricciotti Garibaldi.|220pxRicciotti Garibaldi was an Italian soldier, the fourth son of Giuseppe Garibaldi and Anita Garibaldi....
supported the Boers, while his grandson Peppino
Giuseppe Garibaldi II
Brigadier-General Giuseppe Garibaldi II was an Italian soldier, grandson of Giuseppe Garibaldi.Garibaldi was born in Melbourne, Australia, the son of Ricciotti Garibaldi....
found himself on the British side).
Under Ricchiardi’s leadership this unit (also known as the "Latin Brigade" or the "Italian Legion") became distinguished for their close-knitness and skill in performing reconnaissance and other tasks required by asymmetric warfare
Asymmetric warfare
Asymmetric warfare is war between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly, or whose strategy or tactics differ significantly....
. It was not only the bravery of the Italian Legion that made him famous, but also his charisma and chivalric attitude toward the enemy: for instance he used to send the personal belongings of British casualties to their families along with a letter of condolences. However, some of his men were full-blown rogues and at times Ricchiardi had to reinstate discipline with stern (but not bloody) measures.
The first successful operation carried out by the Italian Legion was the capture of an armoured train
Armoured train
An armoured train is a train protected with armour. They are usually equipped with railroad cars armed with artillery and machine guns. They were mostly used during the late 19th and early 20th century, when they offered an innovative way to quickly move large amounts of firepower...
near Chieveley, Natal. Among the passengers who were taken prisoners there was young journalist Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, whose life Ricchiardi spared by pretending not to see him dumping his pistol
Mauser C96
The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...
and dum-dum
Dum-dum
An expanding bullet is a bullet designed to expand on impact, increasing in diameter to limit penetration and/or produce a larger diameter wound. They are informally known as a Dum-dum or dumdum bullets...
ammo which had been declared unlawful on pain of death. Upon his return to England, Churchill did not mention having been captured by Italians.
During his stay in South Africa, Ricchiardi married Hannah Guttman, Paul Kruger
Paul Kruger
Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger , better known as Paul Kruger and affectionately known as Uncle Paul was State President of the South African Republic...
’s granddaughter, who he had met in the Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
Military Hospital while recuperating from serious leg wounds he had suffered at the battle of Tugela
Tugela
Tugela is a brown Thoroughbred mare. Bred by Khalid Abdullah's prominent Juddmonte Farms. Tugela was sired by Riverman and out of Rambushka who in turn was a daughter of Epsom Derby winner, Roberto, a two-time Leading sire in France.Tugela is best known as the dam of Makybe Diva , the champion...
. Upon his return to Italy he was busy organizing pro-Boer committees and narrating his adventures in a series of books.
Later life
A keen businessman, he embarked in several ventures whenever he was not at war. One of his partners was Gastone Guerrieri, a grandson of King Victor Emmanuel II. He later moved to ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
where he was appointed administrator of a colony of Boer refugees in Chubut
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
.
In 1923 he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage depriving him of the use of various bodily functions. His last years were spent with his family in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, where he died on 21 January 1940 and where he now lies buried.