GOT THEIR MAIL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 120, 23 May 1941, Page 8

GOT THEIR MAIL

N.Z. TROOPS IN GREECE SMALL LOSS POSSIBLE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, this day. "An interesting sidelight on the organisation underlying the movement of large bodies of troops on active service is given in a recent report received by the Postal Department from the New Zealand base post office in the Middle East," stated the Postmaster-General, the Hon. P. C. Webb, to-dav.

"As soon as it was known that New Zealand troops wore proceeding to Greece steps were taken to provide postal facilities there for the men. Units of the base post office were sent to Greece and a field post office was established at Athens. A mail van, with a military officer in attendance, on the passenger express from Piraeus provided a fast service to the railheads of the British and Imperial forces located in the eastern sector of Greece. From the railheads mails were distributed by the divisional postal unit with the New Zealand Brigade, delivery being made to men by postal orderlies.

"It is understood/ , said Mr. Webb. "that the bulk of the mails were dispatched between Egypt and Greece by air and it is known that all mails sent to Greece up to March 31 were delivered to the troops there. There may, however, have been small losses of mails after that date."