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From JC – I used to be a postie on Otago and Taranaki but never had this much mail to sort.
20 December 2013
HMS Illustrious took aboard a huge delivery of mail in Singapore – her first port of call since delivering masses of aid to Filipinos in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.
The ship picked up the bags when she called in to replenish food, fuel and essential stores. Lusty’s ‘postie’ – amongst an array of other jobs including supervision of the ship’s engine commands and steering during berthing and the management of the ship’s volunteer band – is Royal Marine Band Colour Sergeant John ‘Bandy’ Lether.
Pictures: PO(Phot) Ray Jones, HMS Illustrious
WHERE just a few weeks ago this cavernous hangar was full of food and aid for the Philippines, now it’s packed with 600 sacks of mail – at least one for every man or woman aboard.
HMS Illustrious took aboard a huge delivery of mail in Singapore – her first port of call since delivering masses of aid to Filipinos in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.
The ship picked up the bags when she called in to replenish food, fuel and essential stores. Lusty’s ‘postie’ – amongst an array of other jobs including supervision of the ship’s engine commands and steering during berthing and the management of the ship’s volunteer band – is Royal Marine Band Colour Sergeant John ‘Bandy’ Lether.
“I understand that this is by far the biggest mail delivery that the British Forces Post Office has made for a long time,” he said.
“A lot of the mail had to be diverted from other places after we were re-tasked at short notice to go to the Philippines.
“Even so, we were staggered at the sheer amount of mail that has arrived. I think that BFPO may be able to teach Father Christmas a few things about making sure that the right parcels get to the right place!”
The mega delivery was sorted out by the BFPO, based at RAF Northolt in London, who ensure letters and parcels reach the scattered ships and units of the Naval Service wherever they are in the world.
“The BFPO team do an amazing job,” John added. “I know how hard they have worked to make sure this delivery was made in time for Christmas. That said, I am sure there must be more on the way – I have only received one parcel so far!”
A lot of trucking mail to shift…
With the aid mission done, around one third of the crew – a mix of Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Army – have left, but there remain around 550 people aboard for the long journey back to Portsmouth.
‘Singers’ was the penultimate port of call for the veteran carrier, which is now into the final 12 months of a career going back more than 30 years.
She’s in India, briefly, over Christmas, before continuing her journey back to the Solent. World-events allowing – she’s the nation’s on-call helicopter carrier – she’s due back in mid-January.
Illustrious enjoys pre-Christmas sacks with mega mail delivery -