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Auction: 21135 - The 'Ruby' Collection of Burma Postal History
Lot: 382

(x) Burma
Military Mail
First Burmese War, 1824-26
1825 (11 Jan.) entire letter from a soldier in the 42 Regiment BNL headed "Camp near Chittagong" addressed to Teignmouth and redirected to Launceston, rated "1/1" (deleted), "1/2" (deleted), "1/9" (deleted) and "1/10", showing Calcutta G.P.O. c.d.s., "Launceston/Py Post" in blue and, on reverse, framed "india letter/weymouth", London transit c.d.s. (15.7) and Teignmouth mileage h.s.; some slight wear along folds. The contents include "I am now arrived at this horrid place Chittagong....we muster about 10,000 bayonettes...the Burmese have evacuated this place so we shall have to march to Arracan....(and re the battle near Rangoon)...50,000 Burmese had arrived with the intention of taking all the tigers (as they call the Europeans) in chains to their capital, but the tigers...left 5000 of them dead on the field...besides the loss of all their stores and ammunition...I hope this war will give the world a better opinion of native troops." A rare letter from the Arrakan Force

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£1,600

Starting price
£1600