TROOPS IN GREECE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 120, 23 May 1941, Page 9

TROOPS IN GREECE

POSTAL FACILITIES

COMPLETE ARRANGEMENTS

MAIL DISTRIBUTION

The Postmaster-General (Mr. Webb) stated today that an interesting sidelight on the organisation underlying the movement of large bodies of troops on active service was given in a recent report received by the Postal Department from the New Zealand Base Post Office in the Middle East, As soon as it was known that New Zealand troops were proceeding to Greece, steps were taken to provide postal facilities there for the men.

Units of the Base Post Office Avere sent to Greece, and a field post office was established at Athens. A mail van, with a military courier 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 New Zealand railhead the mails were distributed by the Divisional Postal Unit with the New Zealand Brigade, delivery being made to the men by postal orderlies.

It is understood 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 3] were delivered to the troops. There may. however, have been small losses of mail matter after that date.