Army mail to Hanmer

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 1

Army mail to Hanmer

5 The New Zealand Army will fly mail beL tween two North Can- ■ terbury towns for three ' days this week. This is ’ being done to solve the , road transport problems ■ posed by the closing of the Waiau ferry bridge. /which is to have new decking put in. The Army has established a command post for the 2nd Battalion. R.N.Z.1.R., in Culverden. which will control the long-range reconnaissance ; exercise being carried jjjt by,

units of the 3rd Brigade Group annual camp. The 'command post has the support of a Sioux light observation helicopter. Under an arrangement between the Army and the New Zealand Post Office this helicopter will be used to move the mail from the Hanmer Springs Post Office to the Culverden Post Office for . as long as the bridge is out 'of commission. A special rubber franking stamp to record this brief life of air mail service by the Army has been prepared and it will be used on all mail so carried. Early tomorrow afternoon the helicopter will land in

e the Culverden District High “ School grounds to coincide - with the arrival in the town- - ship of one of the mobile Army patrols, of between 50 • and 60 men and 16 vehicles. i whose members will display s their equipment for the j schoolchildren. The Christchurch Chief ■> Postmaster (Mr M. T. Reedy) r said that the Post Office was t very grateful to the Armv for co-operating in the deli- > very of mail to and from f Hanmer. i “Without its help it would 1 be very difficult to maintain ’ a postal service in the area , during the next three days," i he said. H