East India Trading Company soldiers

East India Trading Company soldiers

"To capture an entire city, Mr. Beckett, will take a private army."
"Which I intend to have. I can divert perhaps a hundred of the EITC defensive troops from Calabar and the other nearby slaving ports."

―Ian Mercer and Cutler Beckett

The East India Trading Company soldiers, also known as Blue Coats, were British soldiers in the service of the East India Trading Company.

History

Jack Sparrow fights with Royal Marines and Blue Coats

"Steady, men. We stand aboard a seagoing vessel, no more and no less. You will compose yourselves as marines."

―James Norrington to Mullroy and Murtogg

The East India Trading Company Marines were Royal Marines who were transferred to the Company, because the lack of protection on the Company’s merchant ships. They were under the orders of Lord Cutler Beckett and his most trusted officers during the War Against Piracy, stationed throughout Port Royal and onboard Company ships. The army would expand once Beckett gained possession of the heart of Davy Jones.

EITC soldiers guarding prisoners awaiting the gallows in Fort Charles.

During the Company's infiltration on Singapore, multiple EITC troops were under the command of Ian Mercer. In the ensuing battle against Sao Feng's men, both sides sustained many casualties, however, the soldiers' training brought them victory over the pirates. Upon seeing the aftermath of the massacre of pirate ships led by Davy Jones' ship, the Flying Dutchman, Lord Beckett had transferred a large number of his men from the Endeavour to the Dutchman, under the command of Admiral James Norrington. Beckett also had the Dead Man's Chest, which contained Jones' heart, brought aboard the Dutchman in order to remind Jones and his crew who was in command. To ensure his control over the ship, Beckett also asked Jones to have the Dutchman stay above water or submerge only briefly as long his men were onboard.

A garrison of these soldiers were present at the moment when Lord Beckett almost had the Black Pearl in his grasp. In the ensuing battle, however, many of these soldiers were slain by the pirates. Their corpses remained aboard the Black Pearl. Will Turner used some of the bodies to lead Beckett to Shipwreck Cove by tying the bodies to barrels, creating a bread-crumb trail. The bodies were fished out of the water when Lieutenant Greitzer spotted an object adrift on the sea, which attracted seagulls that feasted on these bodies.

EITC soldiers fighting at Singapore.

After the death of Norrington, Jones' crew staged an attack against the soldiers, believing that it was the time to take back their ship. However, they were surprised to see Mercer and numerous soldiers aiming their weapons at not only them, but directly at the chest. Some of these soldiers were able to sneak into Shipwreck City, but were dispatched by pirates.

In the maelstrom, several soldiers prepare to board the Black Pearl.

During the Battle of Calypso's maelstrom, Davy Jones killed Mercer and sent the remaining soldiers to board the Black Pearl; Jones would thus have greater ease in attaining the chest which was guarded by Mullroy and Murtogg. The only known surviving EITC soldiers are the two, who abandoned their post in the Dutchman and swung over to the Black Pearl, where they put on pirate attire and joined the crew in cheering the defeat of Beckett. Afterwards, the two chose to remain with the Pearl's crew as pirates.

Uniform and appearance

The EITC soldiers on the Endeavour.

Although early EITC soldiers incorporated the type of uniform worn by Royal Marines, they began to wear updated uniforms by the time Lord Cutler Beckett acquired the heart of Davy Jones, which greatly differed from the Royal Marines' standard attire.

The design consisted of dark blue jackets, maroon red tunics crested with gold decorations, and black navy boots. In addition, they wore tricornes as military hats. Due to the coloring of they clothes they wore, the EITC soldiers were nicknamed "Blue Coats."

Equipment and skills

The EITC soldiers' weaponry consisted of muskets, bayonets, swords, and cutlasses. As the EITC soldiers were, essentially, Royal Marines transferred to work for the East India Trading Company, they were trained to fend off sword attacks, defend EITC ships against pirates, and board enemy ships via grappling hooks. They were also trained to use teamwork and collaborative techniques with each other, using their sheer numbers to overwhelm their opponents, as demonstrated during the battle of Singapore when a group of EITC soldiers formed a well-organized firing group and hailed Sao Feng's Chinese pirates with a volley of musket fire before engaging the enemy in violent close-quarters combat.

Notable Blue Coats

• Murtogg
• Mullroy
• Unnamed Bluecoat

Behind the scenes

• The action figure of the East India Trading Company Soldier by Zizzle was never released or made.
• In real-world history the East India Company's private troops were made up of European but predominantly Indian soldiers in the forms of the armies of the three presidencies of the East India Company's rule in India. The three armies far outnumbered the regular British army in India. Their soldiers wore predominantly red uniforms with different symbols and other minor differences.

Appearances

• The Price of Freedom
• Legends of the Brethren Court: The Turning Tide
• Pirates of the Caribbean Online
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game) (First appearance)
• Kingdom Hearts III (Non-canonical appearance)

Sources

• Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game): Official Strategy Guide

External links

• East India Company Army on Wikipedia