項次 1745

1859 (25 Dec) Cover from Clifton to Lieutenant Geoffrey Mairis at Heights of Canton, China – before the outbreak of the Third Battle of Taku Forts The Second Battle of Taku Forts was perhaps the most severe failed Anglo-French attempt to seize Taku Forts during the Second Opium War. The failure of the Second Battle of Taku Forts was a blow to both British and French prestige. Between the end of 1859 and early 1860, the allied forces were making all necessary military reinforcements and prepared to fight to the north of China again. This cover was sent to Lieutenant Geoffrey Mairis who was serving at the 2” Battalion Brigade of Royal Marines Light Infantry which happened to station at Canton in the reinforcement period in early 1860. Route: Clifton, Britain to Canton, China via Marseilles Rate: 9d for % oz prepaid rate from Great Britain to China Marking: 1x 1d, 1x 2d and 1 x 6d QV stamps all cancelled by Clifton obliterator “959”, Clifton cds (25 Dec 1859) , Hong Kong cds (11 Feb 1860), manuscript “received at 12 Feb 1860”

1859年12月25日 英國Clifton寄往中國廣州高地信封 致駐守廣州皇家海軍陸戰隊中尉 Geoffrey Mairis —— 第三次大沽口戰役爆發前夕的軍郵信件。 1859年第二次大沽口之戰是英法聯軍於第二次鴉片戰爭中最嚴重的一次失敗嘗試，未能成功奪取大沽炮台，對兩國國際聲譽皆構成打擊。戰敗後，英法兩國積極調動軍力，從1859年底至1860年初展開大規模增援，準備再次北上進攻清朝。 本信於1859年聖誕節當日寄出，收件人為駐守廣州的英國皇家海軍陸戰隊輕步兵第二營中尉Geoffrey Mairis。當時該營正處於增援準備階段，等待進一步部署。該信反映了戰前前線軍官與英國本土之間的通信情況，以及即將爆發的軍事行動背景。 歷史意義：此信件發出時距第三次大沽口戰役（1860年8月）尚有約8個月，但已置身於聯軍重整與增兵的關鍵時期。作為戰爭前線軍官的往來書信，本品不僅為研究第二次鴉片戰爭與英軍戰前部署提供罕見實物依據，也為理解清英戰爭期間的軍郵流通與戰略佈局增添珍貴一頁。