Peter Fleming's 1935 journey into Xinjiang

News was received in London at the weekend that Mr Peter Fleming, who has been travelling on a mission for The Times in Manchuria, Mongolia, the interior of China, Northern Tibet and Sinkiang, has arrived safely at Kashgar

In spring, 1935, the explorer and writer Peter Fleming, brother of James Bond author, Ian, had gone missing somewhere in Central Asia, and his reappearance was noted with some relief in this July report.

Fleming was on a seven-month, 3,500 mile journey from Beijing to India, ostensibly in his role as an explorer, but in fact to report back to The Times on what was happening in the remote and inaccessible territory of Xinjiang, or Chinese Turkestan.

Two years earlier the Chinese governor of Xinjiang (Sinkiang to The Times then) had been all but overthrown by a rebellion of the Turkic people, of whom the Uighurs now form the largest group. The regime was rescued by Russian intervention, and although Xinjiang was officially part of China, by the time Fleming arrived there it was under the control of the Soviets, "unblushingly trespassing in Chinese territory". 

Emerging from a long and hazardous trek across mountain and desert, Fleming's little camel caravan walked into a full-scale Great Game drama, which he described subsequently in a series of articles in The Times, and a book, News from Tartary. The pictures on this post were also taken by him - a soldier of the rebel Chinese Muslim army aiming a British SMLE No3 rifle, above, and Fleming's camel train, below.

In a leading article introducing his series of reports, The Times said:

Peter Fleming lifts the veil which in recent years has hidden, or at best obscured, the politics of that remote Moslem dependency of China, the province of Sinkiang

You can read Fleming's reports below. I'm afraid that in the 1930s The Times used to start extended pieces such as these in the right-hand column - they were called turnover articles - and unless you''re a subscriber to the Archive you'll need to click on the "read plain text" link below the article viewer in order to get the whole thing. 

If it is untrue to say that at least four Powers are watching with the keenest interest current developments in the Chinese province of Sinkiang, or Eastern Turkestan, it is only untrue because developments in Sinkiang are practically impossible to watch - Rivalries in Sinkiang, Part One

The Russians have a monopoly of the very valuable trade in unborn lamb-skins - Rivalries in Sinkiang, Part Two

I cannot conceal my suspicion that Russia does not really know what she is up to in Chinese Central Asia - Rivalries in Sinkiang, Part Three

Also in the Archive blog:
Baldies, flying eggs and monstrous noses - the leading articles of Peter Fleming

Want to explore 200 years of The Times Archive for yourself? Check out the Archive homepage or  subscribe here 

Comments

[tcode]

pretty cool photos, its amazing how little the region changed in 70+ years. the urban areas did grow but the rural areas are more or less frozen in times. thanks for the photos...

[Bollmann, Félix]

Good paper. It would have been nice to remind that pictures were taken by Swiss photographer and author Ella Maillart who shared the full journey with Peter Fleming. The archives of these pictures are kept at the Musée de l'Elysée at Lausanne.

[Iago]

Seems like Peter is more Bond than Ian, judging from this little adventure. I never even knew that Ian Fleming (whose book Bond is better than the film Bonds, in my not-so-humble opinion) had a famous, traveler-writer brother.

[kezzer]

Cool report.....interesting stuff.

[Paulmaximus]

The rural areas have changed with oil development and some massive wind farms, while Kashgar now has a massive statue of Chairman Mao. The political and population situation has radically altered with the flood of Hans into the province.The Kashgar to Islamebad highway built by the Chinese is now one of the most interesting tours in the world by 4wd, a far cry from journeys by camel. Some interesting modern photos are now published by the China Xinjiang Mountaineering Association based in Kasgar.

[Obamahimself]

wo this is indeed one of the greatest article ever. It gives good picture of that remote corner of the world xinjiang. Please keep printing stories of that part of the world and those kind of photos. it helps to see the communism their problem in all over the world.

[B Ward, Lacipio, Spain]

Peter Fleming also wrote "Brazilian Adventure" a fascinating and very entertaining account of his (unsuccessful) search for the lost explorer Col. Percy Fawcett in the Amazonian jungle.

[KK]

Iago - Ian was always in awe of his elder brother and in fact James Bond was partly modelled on Peter (who was leter to become a pioneer of commando operations which were to lead to the formation of the SAS). Ella Maillart's own book about the expedition ('Forbidden Journey' provides a fascinating insight into Fleming's eccentricities.

[Dr Nick Ashley]

I have a copy of News from Tartary and it was a good read. So is One's Company which I also have. The adventures sound amazing. This chap really lived life and was lucky on several occasions to escape with his life. All he had was a 0.22 rifle.

[Myat Thwin]

Priceless and irrefutable historical account by none other than the brother of Ian (James Bond) Fleming.

Hello, "World Uighur Congress"! Hello, NED! Don't waste taxpayer's money supporting a fake cause.

[Sheila Shigley]

My grandparents lived in Sinkiang during the 1940s; it was most definitely not part of China then. Heavy trading partner, definitely; same country: definitely not.

[Jonathan Wright]

Super article .Every morning these books sit in the smallest room in the house to be leafed through .Brazilian Adventure ,Ones Company is the stuff of boys dreams and while occupied doing more routine things I dream .I have boys of 3 and 4 who hear passages from these books and then watch the 007 movies ..I think they know Peter had more fun than Ian maybe even than James !

JW Stanton Prior - dreaming at 40