NEW MAIL SERVICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 May 1941, Page 7

NEW MAIL SERVICE

FOR BRITISH TROOPS IN MIDDLE EAST. INAUGURATED BY GENERAL WAVELL. (British Official Wireless.) RUGEY. May 8. An airgraph letter service from troops in the Middle East to their relatives in Britain has been inaugurated by the Middle East Commander-in-Chief, General Sir Archibald Wavell, in a letter to the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Sir John Dill, in London. The soldier will write his message on a special form Ilin, by Bin. This is photographed on to a very small film, the letter being reduced in size, and the miniature film is then sent by aeroplane to the destination. On arrival an enlargement measuring sin by 4in —just above one-quarter of the size of the original—is made, and this is delivered in the usual way. The text of General Wavell’s letter is as follows: — “G.H.Q., Cairo, April 17. “My Dear Jack: I have been invited —in fact, detailed—by my staff to write one of the first three airgraph letters from the Middle East to Home. You and I have discussed so often on paper and verbally since this war began means of giving the troops out here a reasonably rapid service of mails, so that I know you will be glad to receive the first message of the new method, which promises well. I hope it will be possible to keep up a regular service. It means a lot to a great many people that there should be a quick exchange of news between us out here and our families and friends at home. It helps to keep our tails where they are and always will be —well up. "Yours ever, Archie Wavell.”