Royal Signals Museum - Postal Covers - The Heliograph

The Zulu War 1877 ~ 1879 - The Heliograph

In 1879, Lieutenant General Lord Chelmsford broke the back of the Zulu uprising with the advance of his three columns into Zululand, taking on the might of the Zulus and defeating them at Kambula, Gingihiovo and Ulundi.

At one stage of this advance, part of the British force became beleaguered in Fort Ekowe, the ground between them and the Tugela river being in Zulu hands. At Tugela Lieutenant Haynes, RE, endeavoured to establish communications with the Fort by heliograph. This instrument, manufactured in India by the Bengal Sappers and Miners, had an oscillating mirror aligned to reflect the sun's rays to the distant station. It was operated by using the Morse code. Haynes persisted, in spite of much discouragement, for a week, before he received an answer. At the Fort, Major Wynne, RE, had noticed the signal almost immediately and tried to reply with shaving mirrors, without success. He spent the week constructing a large screen which pivoted from the horizontal to the vertical, the time of the vertical appearances producing the elements of the Morse code. Some signal traffic was passed, and as a result the relief of the force beleaguered in the Fort took place; sadly Major Wynne died from privation and exhaustion.

The heliograph was to remain in service with the Army for many years, as a most efficient form of visual signalling in sunny climates. The badge of the Perthshire Light Infantry is on the cover, as they served against those bloody-minded warriors, the Zulus, under their truculent chief, Cetawayo.

Acknowledgements to "Through to 1970" published by the Royal Signals Institution.