Umbalah HG 4

29 September 1845

Letter send on 29th September 1845 from Umballah, India to England and addressed in it correct form, has been signed by Lt. Col Brooke and sent at the solfier's unpaid concession rate of postage by British Packet and specifically routed overland "Per Steamer via Bombay and Aden" NOTE: The red oval 3.5 x 2.7mm handstamp "UMBALLA/ Aden /OVERLAND" the only recorded example. India 1845 (29 Sept.) entire letter "From Sergt. M Walker ... 3/1 Horse Artillary Umballah, Soldiers Letter Per Steamer via Bombay and Aden" to England, countersigned by the Commanding Officer and showing oval-framed "india" and h.s. "2" on face, the reverse with large part strike (part cut away on opening), and only recorded example, of the oval-framed "umballa/overland" h.s. in red with "Aden" inserted in manuscript at centre, partially over-cancelled with light arrival c.d.s. (25.11); some internal sellotape repair work, some of which show through to face at top and at foot, nevertheless the only soldier´s letter specifically routed via Aden Estimate £ 300-400 Note: A British G.P.O. Instruction No. 27 of September 1845 noted arrangements had been made to convey from Aden direct to Bombay by Steam Vessels of the East India Company, letters for Bombay being carried from London by the Calcutta Packets. A similar arrangement applied for letters from Bombay to England, the mail being transferred at Aden This letter was carried on the East India Company´´s steamer "Cleopatra" to Aden where it was transferred to the P&O Packet "Hindostan" which carried it to Suez. The cover then travelled overland to Alexandria and was put aboard the P&O Packet "Orient" which carried it to London