BULK DISPATCHED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21971, 24 May 1941, Page 8

BULK DISPATCHED

Mails For Troops In Greece MINISTER’S ASSURANCE (PA.) WELLINGTON, May 23. 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 Post and Telegraph Department from the New Zealand Base Post Office in the Middle East, stated the Postmaster-General- (Hon. P. C. Webb) to-day. 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 were sent to Greece and a Field Post Office was established at Athens. A mall van, with a military officer in attendance, on the passenger express from Piraeus provided a fast service to the railheads of British and Imperial forces located in the eastern sector of Greece. From the New Zealand railheads 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, 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 may. however, have been small losses of mails after that date.