Page 57 - Handout

Swedish volunteers in British Royal Navy 1840s–1860s Royal Navy India Naval Brigades relocated to China (Second Opium War 1856-1860) 1859 Paid letter Sweden-Port Blair, India. Forward towards China. Ex. Gustaf Douglas 1 Place Date *=cancel 102 öre, F9d +3x F11b, paid Carlscrona*, Sweden 29.9 letter -1 lod (13.3g.) via Trieste and Alexandria to Ystad* 1.10 Ship India Aug. 9, 1859 - Oct. 29, Stralsund* x.10 Aus Schweden per 1862. Stralsund* Triest* 5.10 Ship to Alexandria Suez to Bombay 29.10 British mail steamer The Swedish volunteer Gustaf Carlström was Bombay a Seaman in a Royal Naval Brigade, stationed in India to 1859. Bombay*, India 13.11 Bombay*, India 15.11 In summer 1859 his unit was stationed on Culcutta Ship Letter* 25.11 South Andaman Island for guard duties. The Calcutta G.P.O* island was a penal settlement for mutineers Port Blair, Andaman Not known. Unit had left. from India during the Indian Mutiny. Islands Returned to Culcutta. During autumn the unit were ordered to be Calcutta Remaining* 27.2 The unit had been ordered to transported to Singapore and Hong Kong to 1860 be part of the Anglo-French be used in the ongoing war in China. The last China force. Had already left Culcutta. Forward by mili- troopship of Naval Brigades left Culcutta in tary supplies towards China. mid November 1859. In June 1859 a British naval force with 2200 troops and The Royal Navy Naval Brigades 21 ships sailed from Shanghai to Tianjin. At the nearby were a temporary detachment of Taku forts the force stopped and met heavy Chinese “Marines” (seamen trained resistance. In late June the British force withdrew. especially for warfare on land) from Royal Navy. It were both an infantry and artillery unit. By summer of 1860 a huge Anglo-French force of 11000 British and 6700 French troops on 173 ships sailed along Due to its supremacy at sea the the Chinese coast and captured the Taku forts (Chinese Royal Navy did not fight a direct stronghold) August 21, 1860. The force proceeded ship to ship battle after 1850 (until towards Beijing. Which was entered October 6, 1860. 1914) and instead land their naval brigades to fight at land.