Wu Dasheng

Wu Dasheng (; 1914 – 1994) was a Chinese Communist military and political leader. He served in major logistical and supply roles across the New Fourth Army, the East China Field Army, and later the People's Liberation Army (PLA). He was a member of both the 9th and 10th Central Committees of the Chinese Communist Party.

Biography Wu Dasheng was born in 1914 in Huang’an County (now Hong’an County), Hubei Province, China. He came from a rural background and became involved in revolutionary activities at an early age. In 1929, he joined the children's corps of the local Soviet government and later enlisted in the Chinese Red Army in August of the same year. In 1935, he joined the Chinese Communist Party.

During the early phase of the Chinese Civil War, Wu served in various junior military and security roles, including platoon leader and commander of local armed units in Huang’an County. He participated in guerrilla warfare during the prolonged anti-encirclement campaigns in southern China and served in both combat and security detachments.

After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Wu was assigned to the New Fourth Army. He held several key logistical positions, including supply section chief of the 9th Regiment of the Fourth Detachment, director of cooperative supply organizations within the Second Division, and deputy director and later director of supply departments in the Sixth Brigade. He also worked in economic and procurement organizations supporting the New Fourth Army in central China. During this period, he played an important role in maintaining supply chains for Communist forces operating in difficult wartime conditions.

During the Chinese Civil War, Wu served in senior logistics positions within the East China Field Army and its subordinate formations. He was director of supply departments for the 12th Column and later for military districts including the Subei, Jianghuai, and northern Anhui regions. His work focused on ensuring the material and logistical support of frontline troops during major campaigns in eastern China.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Wu held senior positions in the logistics system of the PLA East China Military Region. He served as director of the Oil Supply Department, director of the Vehicle Management Department, and later head of logistics transportation and machinery departments within the Nanjing Military Region. Following the establishment of the Nanjing Military Region, he became deputy director of its logistics department.

During the Cultural Revolution, Wu also held political leadership positions in Jiangsu Province, including deputy secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, deputy director of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee, and First Political Commissar of the Jiangsu Provincial Military District. Despite political turbulence, he was noted for maintaining administrative stability and continuity of governance in the province.

In 1955, Wu was awarded the rank of Senior Colonel (Dàxiào) and received the Order of Bayi (Third Class), the Order of Independence and Freedom (Second Class), and the Order of Liberation (Second Class). He was elected as a member of the 9th and 10th Central Committees of the Chinese Communist Party. Wu retired in 1984 and was awarded the Red Star Meritorious Service Medal in 1988. He died in Nanjing in 1994 at the age of 80.