The Post Office of India and Its StoryClarke, Geoffrey
History
The Post Office of India and Its Story
Clarke, Geoffrey
Postal service -- India
The orders for the despatch of a force for operations in Sikkim were
notified in the _Gazette of India_ of the 3rd March, 1888. Shortly
after the commencement of hostilities the Government of Bengal
requested Mr. H. M. Kisch, Postmaster-General, Bengal, to open a
runners' line from Siliguri to Kalimpong, a distance of thirty-seven
miles. This line was used only for transmission of letter mails, parcel
mails being conveyed by the old route from Darjeeling via Ghum and
Pasok. On the 24th March the Padong post office was converted into a
sub-office, and from that date it was constituted a Base office for the
expedition.
On the 16th March the force, which concentrated at Padong, moved
out in two columns, one under Brigadier-General T. Graham, R.A.,
commanding the expedition, and the other under Colonel Michel, of the
13th Bengal Infantry, the former advancing towards Fort Lingtu and the
other towards the Rhenok Bazar. With the advance of troops the post
office opened at Dulapchin was shortly removed to Ranglichu. Other
post offices were opened at Gnatong, Sedonchin, Gangtok, Rhenok Bazar
and Pakyong. The mail lines connecting these offices were under the
management of the Post Office as far as Ronglichu and Pakyong, but the
lines beyond were under the Political authorities.
_The Black Mountain or Hazara Field Force._
Towards the beginning of September, 1888, the Home Government having
decided to send a punitive expedition against the tribesmen of the
Black Mountain, a Field Force was organized on the Hazara frontier. The
object of the expedition was to punish the Khan Khel Hassanzai and the
Akazai tribes. Brigadier-General J. W. McQueen, C.B., Commanding the
Punjab Frontier Force, directed the expedition. On the 8th September,
1888, Mr. W. T. van Someren, Superintendent of post offices, Rawalpindi
Division, was deputed to make the postal arrangements with the force.
Haripur was constituted a Base office for the Derband column, and
Abbottabad for the Oghi column. The tonga service from Hassan Abdal
to Abbottabad was strengthened and extended to Mansera, and a mixed
tonga and horse service was established between Abbottabad and Oghi.
A runners' line was opened from Haripur to Derband. A railway sorting
office, under the supervision of Mr. N. G. Wait, was also opened at
Hassan Abdal for the sorting and onward transmission of articles for
the Field Force.
_The Chin Expedition, Burma._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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