rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic - Communication

Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 5:48 pm

Might be a silly question but.......I have often wondered why there was no heliograph communication set up between Isandlwana on that fateful day and Chelmsford at Mangeni.

I know that heliograph was used at Eshowe in Feb 1879.

I know I am not militarily minded but surely a line of communication could have been set up from the Isandlwana camp to Mangeni and even via Conical Hill, thus keeping Chelmsford fully aware of things happening.

Of course, this method relies on the weather. Wink

Jamie

Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 6:37 pm

Not a silly question to my ears Jamie. If I'm not mistaken though I don't believe they had much in the way of heliograph equipment at that point. The one set up by Capt. Wynne at Eshowe was improvised from odds and ends lieing about and actually went through a couple of iterations before becoming successful. If you can get hold of a copy of "A Widow-Making War" edited by Howard Whitehouse you can read the interesting story of it's implementation. I'm not sure if Lord Chelmsford requested any signals sections and have often thought how grand it would have been if he'd managed a balloon section but seeing as he was refused the extra regiments I doubt he would have been given any specialists either.

Of course it also begs the question as to why he would have thought he needed a heliograph when he was only off on a day jaunt of some ten miles. It would none the less have obviated much of the confusion that day!

Best

Michael