DAMAGED AIR MAIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 December 1938, Page 7

DAMAGED AIR MAIL

BAGS FROM THE CALPURNIA AT AUCKLAND MANY ADDRESSES LEGIBLE. ' HEAVY TASK FOR POSTAL STAFF. By Telegrapn—Press Association—Copyright. AUCKLAND, December 19. A portion of the damaged Christmas air mail from the Imperial Airways flying boat Calpurnia, which made a forced landing on Lake Ramadi, near Baghdad with the loss of three lives on November 27, arrived at Auckland from Sydney by the Awatea today. Though it was reported by cable that the salvaged mail had been dried out in readiness for forwarding, the postal officials found that further drying was required and this was begun in a large room at the chief post office, where the letters and packets were spread out on tables. , An examination showed that addresses typewritten or written in ordinary ink on white paper were nearly all perfectly legible, but that some coloured inks had washed out. Packets wrapped in brown paper had suffered more than letters. Some had burst open, revealing such contents as silk handkerchiefs, women’s stockings and small leather articles, and in l one instance seeds that had begun to sprout. Many addresses written in ink on brown paper wrappings could not be read. The mail was disinfected as a precautionary measure and all but a fraction of it will be delivered with comparatively little delay. However, it is certain that some letters and packets will have to go to the dead-letter- office. An official remarked that one or two instances showed the wisdom of attaching addressed tie-on tage to packages, in .'addition to the addresses on the wrappers. Though many stamps are missing, .no postage will be surcharged unless the covers have been marked in London as under-paid. All the mail as far as practicable is being rubber-stamped in Auckland “Damaged by water in transit from London.” Letters for various Australian destinations were found in the consignment. It is believed that they were accidently mixed in with the New Zealand letters during the preliminary drying, or possibly they were among the loose mail which, according to the cable message, was found floating on the surface of the lake and was recovered by men of the Royal Air Force in boats. The task of handling the damaged mail has come at a very awkward time for the Auckland postal staff for both the men and the space are needed for other purposes. The Awatea from Sydney brought altogether 865 bags of mail, including 152 of airmail, and this year the Christmas rush has begun unusually early, making it necessary to engage considerable auxiliary staff.