2d. blue, 1855 issue, perforated, with large crown as watermark.
4d. rose-carmine, 1856 issue, with large garter as watermark.
6d. lilac, 1854 issue, with embossed head.
Specimens of the above which franked the correspondence of members of the Crimean expeditionary force may be recognized by the distinctive obliteration marks which were as follows:—
1. A crown placed between two stars with straight bars above and below, the whole forming an oval.
2. A star placed between the cyphers; then as No. 1.
3. A circle containing the inscription "Post Office, British Army," together with the date.
In 1882, a British Army Post Office Corps was formed by Colonel du Plat Taylor for service under General Wolseley in Egypt. The men were chosen from the old 24th Middlesex, a regiment better known as the Post Office Volunteers. The party landed at Alexandria, but soon proceeded to Ismailia where a base was established. From these headquarters a number of field offices sprang up, but their positions altered as the army moved forward. There is no doubt that the duties performed by this postal corps gave much satisfaction, both to the troops and the authorities at home, for its services were again requisitioned when the Suakim expedition set out under the leadership of Sir Gerald Graham.
A SOLDIER'S COMMUNICATION POSTED DURING THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.