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It is requested that special care may be taken to ensure the secrecy of this document.
CC 210
THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT.)
was considered at co.s) 419 Meeting.
This do
SECRE T.
C.O.S.(41) 735.
11TH DECEMBER, 1941.
COPY NO. 33
1.
WAR CABINET.
CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE.
CARRIAGE OF MAILS BY AIR.
Report by the Inter Services Priority Board.
At a recent meeting of the Inter-Service Priority Board which was set up by the Chiefs of Staff to allocate the priorities of passengers and freight for air transport to the Middle East, it was represented on behalf of the Quartermaster General that the load reserved for troop mail (Service postcards) for the Middle East should be increased to 700 kilos on each aircraft.
The present allocation of 340 kilos per flight was approved by the Prime Minister on the 21st March, 1941.
2.
3.
For the eight week period ending 24th November, an average of 328 kilos of troop mail has been carried per flight, or 410 kilos per week. These figures do not include 915 kilos of troop mail carried by reinforcing bombers to Malta, or 1,359 kilos carried on an aircraft specially provided for Christmas mail to the Middle East, or the small loads for the Airgraph service. On December 2nd, no troop mail was outstanding either for Malta or the Middle East. No troop mails have so far been carried for other overseas theatres and any increase should enable the Service postcards being introduced to other theatres.
The average loading of each B.0.A. C. aircraft has been as follows:-
4.
Passengers
1,140 kilos
Troop mail Official mail
328
= 114,800 postcards
224
#
Urgent freight
156
Airgraph
18
= 175,230 letters
Additional flights by Service aircraft, at the expense of operational tasks, have been ordered from time to time to carry very high priority passengers and freight.
5.
Any increase in allotment for troop mail can only be made at the expense of passengers. 53% of the applications for passengers for air transport to Malta and the Middle and Far East from Service and Government Departments, have been turned
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