Education & Career :

Civil Servant at Mesina (1909).

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The East African Campaign was a series of battles and guerrilla actions which started in German East Africa (now Tanzania) and ultimately impacted portions of Mozambique, Northern Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and the Belgian Congo. The German colonial forces, led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck, skillfully fought for the duration of World War I and surrendered only after that war had ended. Other campaigns were conducted in West and South West Africa.

Detail :

The History of the West African Frontier Force Page 188 " Operations Against Mora Mountain, August and September, 1915 While there was a lull in major operations Cunliffe decided to makeanother attempt to reduce Mora, having come to the conclusion that the best chance of success lay in attacking Dabaskum from Wacheke by night.His dispositions were as follows :Wacheke: H.Q.; two mountain guns;'H' Company 1 Battalion, 'D' and 'G' Companies 3 Battalion Nigeria Regiment; a French company (Captain Remond), for the main assault. Padiko: 95 mm. gun.Gauala Ridge: 'A'Company 2 Battalion.Vami: AFrench company (Captain Popp).Sava: 'C'Company M.I.Between the 1st and 8th September no less than three attempts to capture Mora failed. 'H' Company 1 Battalion gained a footing on Dabaskumand advanced to within 60 yards of the German breastworks before being stopped. Raben, the German commander, pays tribute to the gallantry of these Nigerians. Captain R. N. Pike was shot dead while leading the at–tacking force, which incurred 38 casualties, including Captain A. Gardnerand Lieutenant A. J.L.Cary wounded."

"British Campaigns In Afica And The Pacific 1914-1918" - THE CAMPAIGN IN THE CAMEROONS WORKS BY EDMUND DANE "...menace in the rear, appeared to General Cunliffe inadvisable. As a general advance could not be resumed before the end of October, he proposed in the interval to reduce the Mora fastness. Returning to Yola, he began his preparations. Early in August they were finished. In a march of fourteen days the 170 miles between Yola and Mora were covered, and on August 23 his force was before the stronghold.

North of the Mora mountaia rises a similar flat-topped mass called Ouatchke, of the same elevation, but less in perimeter. On Ouatchke the British troops were already established. The two mountains arc divided from one another by a deep valley 600 yards wide. In the judgment of General Cunliffe the best chance of carrying the hostile position by assault, and it could be taken in no other way, was an attack across this valley, for the storming troops could then be supported by fire from Ouatchke. Two attacks were undertaken and both failed. A third reached the summit. There, however, commanding the debouchment from the main gully, the enemy had constructed a redoubt. Arriving at the summit, the forlorn hope, part of the 1st Nigeria Regiment, made a dash for this work with the bayonet. But they had to cover exposed ground, and sixty yards from the redoubt were brought to a halt. There was, taking advantage of such cover as existed, nothing for it but to dig in and hold on, m the hope of reinforcement. And for two days and two nights, despite all the efforts of the enemy to dislodge them, they did hold on, though for the whole of that time they were without food or water. In the rear efforts were being made to send up relief and supplies, and they were brave and determined efforts. None, however, succeeded. The attack had got in by sheer desperate valour. One of its leaders. Captain R. N. Pike, a Political Officer of the Nigerian Government, had displayed fearless gallantry. But the garrison, taken aback by the feat, which had been thought impossible, had rallied, and Pike had fallen. Reluctantly therefore, seeing there was no help for it, General Cunliffe ordered a withdrawal. And the attack had to be given 40. From Ouatchke I made three separate attacks on Dabascoum. The third attack at length succeeded in gaining a footing on the summit, but found further progress barred by a redoubt. A portion of the ist Nigeria Regiment attempted to carry this work with the bayonet, but was stopped by fire within 60 yards of the enemy defences. Our men held on to the position they had gained for 48 hours without food or water, and after every effort to supply them had failed I was com- pelled to order a withdrawal. Our casualties included Captain R. N. Pike, Nigeria Political Service, killed, a most gallant officer and fearless leader, who had already distinguished himself on several occasions."

Birmingham Mail 25th September 1915 "NORTHERN CAMEROONS. The Secretary for the Colonies regrets to announce that Temporary Captain R.N. Pike, attached to the Nigeria Regiment, West Africa Frontier Force, previously reported as wounded on September 8 in the Northern Cameroons, is now reported to have been killed on that date."

Commonwealth Gazette Page 1709 No 93. 27th. July 1916 "40. From Ouatchke I made three separate attacks on Dabascoum. The third attack at length succeeded in gaining a footing on the summit, but found further progress barred by a redoubt. A portion of the ist Nigeria Regiment attempted to carry this work with the bayonet, but was stopped by fire within 60 yards of the enemy defences. Our men held on to the position they had gained for 48 hours without food or water, and after every effort to supply them had failed I was com- pelled to order a withdrawal. Our casualties included Captain R. N. Pike, Nigeria Political Service, killed, a most gallant officer and fearless leader, who had already distinguished himself on several occasions."

Masonic :

The records of the Lodge at the United Grand Lodge of England state "Killed in Action Sept 1915"

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley