TOPIC:

TROOPER CHRISTOPHER JOHN PACKE
‘C’ Troop, Rhodesia Volunteer Horse, Bulawayo Field Force

British South Africa Company Medal 1890-97 reverse Rhodesia 1896 Trooper ‘C’ Troop

Killed in action 10th April 1896
Gwanda Patrol (Brand’s Fight) Matopos Hills, Matabeleland

Christopher John Packe was born on the 23rd December 1877 into an illustrious and much celebrated military family. He was the eldest of the three sons of William Packe, the 8th son of Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Packe, 1st Foot Guards (Grenadier Guards) of Twyford Hall, Norfolk, who saw much distinguished service with his regiment in Wellington’s Peninsular Campaign 1809-1814.
His great-uncle, Major Robert Christopher Packe, Royal Horse Guards, was awarded the Officer’s Gold Medal for the Battle of Vittoria 1813 during Wellington’s Peninsular Campaign and was killed leading the Blues in the famous, thunderous charge of the 1st Household (Heavy) Brigade at the epic Battle of Waterloo on the 18th June 1815.
Another great-uncle, Lieutenant-Colonel George Hussey Packe, 13th Light Dragoons, was also present at the battle of Waterloo, where he was severely wounded. The 13th Light Dragoons suffered heavy losses at Waterloo, commencing the day with three complete troops but at the close of the battle, could muster only one weak one. He was later J.P. for Leicester, Lincolnshire and Huntingdonshire; Deputy Lieutenant for Lincolnshire (High Sheriff 1843) and M.P. for South Lincolnshire 1859-1868.
Christopher’s two younger brothers Frederick and William were also later to achieve high military station,
Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Edward Packe, M.V.O., O.B.E. Welch Regiment. Equerry to H.R.H. Princess Beatrice and Gentleman Usher to King George V. who saw service in the South African War 1899-1902 and the Great War 1914-1918.
Lieutenant-Colonel William Vere Packe, D.S.O. Royal Field Artillery who saw service in the South African War 1899-1902 and the Great War 1914-1918.

Christopher was educated at Marlborough College from 1891-1894, Cotton House. On leaving Marlborough he moved within a circle of friends, where his imagination was fired with tales of adventure and of gold and diamond discoveries emanating from the newly founded country of Rhodesia, which was even then being hacked from the hills and plains of Southern Africa. He sought and was offered a position with the Mining Commission of The British South Africa Chartered Company at Bulawayo, Rhodesia and set forth on his adventure in early 1896.

The Matablele Rising 1896
The Matabele tribe, who shared the same bloodline as the warlike Zulu warriors, had since the defeat of their King, Lobengala and his regiments in 1893, been in a state of resentful unrest. In mid-March 1896, the Matabele commenced upon a series of murderous attacks on remote homesteads and mines, killing any Europeans together with servants or workers that they encountered. The ferocity and wantonness of the massacres was manifested by the indiscriminate slaughter of a number of European men and women noted for their kindly treatment of the natives. At the outset of the rising, over 150 men, women and children were butchered in a frenzy of violence.

The situation rapidly deteriorated and the country was immediately put in a state of alert. All the remaining homesteaders and miners headed for such towns as Bulawayo, Gwelo, Belingwe or any nearby secure settlement.
Christopher, who had only recently taken up his position with the Chartered Company in Bulawayo, and although still only nineteen years of age but with the blood of his celebrated military forebears coursing through his veins, immediately volunteered his services. He had soon after his arrival at Bulawayo, joined the newly formed Rhodesia Horse Volunteers and now took his place as a trooper in ‘C’ Troop of the hastily formed Bulawayo Field Force under the command of Colonel Napier

The ‘Gwanda’ Patrol
From the 24th March, numerous patrols under the charge of irregular officers were sent out from Bulawayo to scour the countryside, rescuing many isolated and besieged settlers who were in extreme danger.
On the 2nd April a strong patrol under Captain Brand, Rhodesia Horse Volunteers, comprising about fifty men of ‘C’ Troop and about fifty men of the Africander Corps was despatched to the Gwanda district.
It should be mentioned that the Africander Corps, under their experienced leader Captain Van Niekerk, included a number of Boer veterans who were well versed in native warfare The purpose of the patrol was to relieve a party of prospectors and families said to be in laager at Dawson’s store, one of the stoutest buildings in that district.
The patrol found that all the settlements and stores in the area had been ransacked and burnt to the ground but the majority of the inhabitants had joined forces and had proceeded with all haste to the laager at Tuli and comparative safety. After cautiously scouting the country a little further and after the occasional brush with a few scattered Matabele, Captain Brand received orders via despatch riders, to return to Bulawayo as soon as possible.
On the morning of the 9th April the patrol started on its return journey to Bulawayo. By lunchtime they had marched some fifteen miles and reached the second of Grainger’s stores where it was found to have been burnt to the ground by the Matabele during the patrol’s stay at Gwanda and judging by the spoor, a large number of them had been at work. Brand decided to stay for the rest of the day at the store and was careful to take every necessary precaution in case of a night attack.
Next morning they saddled up at daybreak and covered the twelve miles to Grainger’s second store before halting. The store had, in the patrol’s absence shared the same fate as the other and nothing was recoverable from the ashes. As they were now entering a most dangerous section of the road, scouts were pushed forward and were extra vigilant.
At about ten o’clock, they came upon some cattle at the foot of the range of hills on their left but before attempting to capture the cattle, a close inspection was made with binoculars of the hills for signs of an ambush as a trap was suspected. Sure enough, on a ridge about a 1,000 yards away they made out a body of natives hiding under cover. The Maxim gun was brought to the fore and commenced firing long bursts at the ridge with the effect that the hostile natives retreated in haste and it became apparent that a large body of several hundred natives had indeed been waiting in ambush. As they fled, they returned the fire of the patrol but with little or no effect.
The patrol then moved forward through an area of thick bush, with hills towering on each side, from where emerging a little later, they came upon the ruins of Spiro’s store. About a mile beyond they saw a column of smoke rising and rightly conjectured that this was the place where the Matabele meant to attack. The situation was all in the favour of the Matabele. The patrol had to pass through a narrow neck amongst the hills in order to emerge into comparatively open country, even then the latter still afforded the Matabele ample cover from any fire that the patrol might bring to bear.
The first evidence they had of an ambuscade was a steady and prolonged fire directed at the head of the column from the kopjes on the left flank of the men of the Africander Corps. They at once returned the fire but so well were the enemy hidden amongst the rocks, that they could hardly be seen.
As the column attempted to press forward to escape from the increasingly dangerous position, a few of Captain Brand’s ‘C’ Troop, attempting to stem a rush of Matabele, were obliged to fire just in front of the faces of the mules drawing the provision wagon. The mules swerved violently away from the gun blasts and in doing so, broke the disselboom. Whilst the damage was being repaired, Lieutenant Jobson of the Africander Corps who was in charge of the Maxim Gun, brought his gun into action with the greatest coolness and promptitude. This unfortunate accident delayed the column for at least half an hour and was largely responsibly for many men and horses being wounded.
When the patrol at last emerged from the pass, its disorganised state showed the severity of the enemy’s fire and it was largely due to the presence of a number of old campaigners in the Africander Corps, commanded by the gallant Captain Van Niekerk, that column escaped annihilation. When the men were organised into some sort of skirmishing order, they were better able to cope with the enemy who numbered more than 1,000 and who engaged the column in a running fight for over five miles, being never more than 200 yards distance.
The troopers route lay over successive ranges of ridges and valleys, the country being thickly studded with bushes and trees with the grass over three feet high and affording plenty of cover for the enemy. Encouraged by an older comrade, Trooper Henry Lane, a fellow Englishman and an original Pioneer, likewise of ‘C; Troop, progressed forward as best they could. Althouh Henry Lane was fortunate to survive the day relatively unscathed, he was to sadly fall a few years later with the Imperial Light Horse at Witklip in July 1900 – his medal group also forms part of this collection.
The Matabele then formed a half moon formation around the patrol, keeping up a steady fire into the slowly moving column, causing numerous casualties. The Matabele fought with fierce determination and were seemingly kept well in hand by their leaders, who constantly urged them to fire low. The men and horses of the patrol were falling with deadly monotony and the need to reach open country became a desperate urgency. The troopers were firing steadily and rapidly all this time and the Maxim did good service but being on the move and owing to the tactics of the enemy, did not do the execution they were accustomed to see in the first Matabele War three years earlier. Here it had cut great swathes in the massed frontal rushes of the Matabele warriors.
At last after about three hours fighting, they saw about a mile ahead of them a large round stone kopje that they made for. The enemy at once saw through their movement and a number of them endeavoured to cut them off by out-flanking their advance. The troopers however were too sharp for them and by hard riding, reached the kopje first and held the Matabele in check until the main body arrived.

Death of Trooper Packe
It was as the troopers sped towards the Kopje in this headlong charge, that young Packe’s horse was hit, spilling both horse and rider violently to the ground. The nineteen year old stumbled to his feet but before he could recover his carbine the Matabele were upon him. He snatched his revolver from its holster, firing into the shrieking mob of warriors rushing towards him. A number of his assailants were felled but with bullets expended, he was powerless to resist them as they hacked him to the ground with their battle-axes.
The kopje thus reached by the horsemen was nothing more than a huge flat rock standing about fifteen feet above the surrounding bush. It was almost surrounded by broken rocks and trees and under this cover - in some instances only some thirty or forty yards from where the troopers were firing from cover - the Matabele concealed themselves and continued their fire upon the defenders.
The troopers were beginning to be hemmed in, wherein Captain Van Niekerk, deciding to take the initiative, ordered a section of his men to charge a number of Matebele who were firing from the cover of the rocks. The rush was in the main successful and after a further three charges, the Matebele began to give way and at about sundown, after six hours of fighting and having covered five miles of country, the Matabele retired from the fight to lick their wounds.

The Mauled Patrol Retires
When at last the troopers had time to look about them, they saw a scene of utter carnage. All around their position were the bodies of dead and dying Matabele and across the plain they had recently crossed could be seen the bodies of the troopers, including that of young Christopher Packe, intermingled with the carcasses of slain horses and the bodies of Matabele warriors, all lying where they had fallen.
On the kopje itself was the little ammunition wagonette, capable of holding two men comfortably and now surrounded by the wounded and the dying. It was found that the patrol had lost five men shot dead and two more were dying, whilst more than twenty others were wounded and thirty-three horses had been killed. Of the enemy it was estimated that they had accounted for between two and three hundred killed and wounded.
The patrol had not reckoned upon having such a tough job getting through the pass and even now their position was very grave. Prompt action was needed to get them out of their difficulty and after consultation amongst the officers, they decided at once to move on, thus giving the Matabele no time for united action and possibly surrounding them during the night.
Their greatest difficulty was the conveyance of their wounded and how many of those poor fellows survived that night remains a mystery. In the little wagonette they had to place eight of the more seriously wounded and on the Maxim gun carriage they carried several more. The remainder were fortunately able to ride.
Captain Van Niekerk despatched one of his veterans, Trooper White of the Africanders, mounted on the fittest remaining horse, to distant Bulawayo with a request for assistance. The remainder left the kopje at dusk and for the next sixteen miles had a most unpleasant stretch of road to traverse. On any section of the road the Matabele could have had the troopers at their mercy had they been sufficiently co-ordinated to attack the battered and bedraggled column. Whether the Matabele had had enough fighting, or whether they did not suspect the patrol’s departure is not known but the men were heartily relieved to get through that last section of the country unmolested.
Captain Van Niekerk’s messenger had been successful in reaching Bulawayo and at 4.30 the following morning, the column met with the relief force, which had been despatched meet them. Two hours later they halted in front of the Government Offices in Bulawayo.
Five men, including Christopher Packe had to be left on the field and another, Trooper Baker died on the Maxim carriage in the final dash; his body having to be left at the side of the road some eight miles from Bulawayo but which was later recovered. The Matabele, although having probably lost heavily, had the satisfaction of the dead bodies of five white men to mutilate, together with the saddles and other accoutrements of the horses killed. Worst of all from the settlers’ viewpoint however, was the loss of a number of Lee-Metford rifles and bandoleers full of cartridges, which fell into the hands of the rebels.
It was considered by the majority of those present that the entire party was only saved from destruction by the determined bravery, combined with cool judgement, shown by Captain Van Niekerk, who took over command during the action. In the event, his experience, gained in many previous fights with the Kaffirs in the ‘Old Colony’ and the Transvaal proved incalculable. Captain Brand, who was the senior officer but inexperienced in native warfare, showed both character and sound judgement in asking Van Niekerk to take command directly he saw the patrol was in a very tight situation.
More than one-third of the men engaged on the patrol were either killed or wounded and well over a third of the horses killed.

The mutilated bodies of the five troopers left on the plain were later recovered and young Christopher, who had so recently arrived in the country with such high expectations, was buried with another of his fallen comrades, Corporal Stewart G. Greer, in a small cemetery shaded by two large Acacia trees at Umlugulu Fort. The spot is well chosen, being most prettily situated on some rising ground near the roadside. Shaded by trees, with the blue outline of the Motopos hills in the distance. The graves are enclosed by a stout fence and marked with wooden crosses making an ideal last resting place for a brave young man.

Good Afternoon Drakewood......

Would you happen to know what troop the following man served in.......

R. DRUMMOND,
BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY MEDAL - RHODESIAN 1896 REVERSE., TROOPER, RHODESIAN HORSE VOLUNTEERS

Thanks in advance......

Mike

Hi Mike
Sorry, can't help you I'm afraid.
I don't have access to the the R.H.V. medal roll.
What I would say, is that if your man belonged to 'C' Troop, his naming would be inscribed in the same manner as to my two men, Packe and Lane
TROOPR.. C TROOP B.F.F.

Regards

Les