The Rorke's Drift VC Discussion Forum
(View Discussion Rules)

** IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL USERS **

PLEASE NOTE: This forum is now inactive and is provided for reference purposes only. The live forum is available at www.rorkesdriftvc.com/forum

(Back To Topic List)

Date	Original Topic
11th November 2002	Electric Lights By Lee Stevenson Lt Milne, R.N., made the following note in his official account of the proceedings of the 21-22-23 January 1879;- "...There were signal fires all around, one very bright light directly in front of us which we hoped might have been the Electric light belonging to the Company of Engineers due at Rorke's Drift. It turned out to be the hospital burning" [PRO ref. ADM1/6486] Does anyone have any details as to the particular piece of equipment Milne thought the Royal Engineers were using ??
Date	Replies
18th November 2002	Adrian Whiting Lee, I understood that certain Royal Engineer companies were involved inproviding electric search light facilities, but had thought that these were the submarine mining companies and the coastal companies, since the principal objectives of the searchlights were coastal defence, and they required significant generating equipment. Mention is made of these in several accounts of the early Sudan campaigns. Signalling lamps were powered by igniting the gaseous product of chemical reaction, and were not exclusive to Engineers, so I doubt that the reference was to those. I would expect that the Royal Engineers museum at Chatham could assist you more fully. I for one would be interested in whatever you may discover !