Royal Mail : and British Forces Post Office expand free mail service delivering post to a further 1200 troops deployed overseas

The Ministry of Defence has expanded entitlement to its Enduring Families' Free Mail Service (EFFMS) delivered by Royal Mail and the British Forces Post Office (BFPO) to service personnel on Operations and Ships around the globe.

The expansion of the EFFMS opens up access to the service to another 1200 military personnel deployed overseas. The service to additional locations starts on September 1 2015.

In the last year, over 1.3 million items have been handled by Royal Mail on behalf of BFPO.

The Enduring Families' Free Mail Service allows family and friends to post letters - known as "blueys" - and small parcels up to 2kgs to personnel serving around the world. The mail is then, sorted and delivered to BFPO London for onward delivery to troops.

Mike Newnham, Chief Customer Officer at Royal Mail, said: "Royal Mail is delighted that access to the Enduring Families' Free Mail Service has been expanded via the BFPO. We have been providing this service to British troops and their families for more than 200 years. Our people are honoured and proud to do so."

The EFFMS is a staple of the military postal service, as it makes sure that deployed military and civilian personnel can stay in touch with loved ones, which is vital to keeping morale high in the hostile environments in which they serve. Small welfare parcels sent by friends and families are also really important, as they typically contain 'comfort items', including crisps, biscuits, cakes, branded toiletries, and quality coffee, all of which can give the troops 'a taste of home' and lift spirits.

Mark Lancaster MP, Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans, said: "The importance of a letter from a loved one or a parcel of home comforts should not be underestimated. The free mail service is a vital element of the welfare support provided to our forces deployed overseas and by extending it, we are once again demonstrating the MOD's absolute commitment to the wellbeing of our people and their families."

The postal service to British troops has been provided by Royal Mail and BFPO for more than 200 years and through many different conflicts and peace-time operations. The service is especially busy at Christmas when family and friends send Christmas gifts to military personnel who are away from home during the festive season.

Royal Mail has already signed up to the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant to show its support for the UK's armed forces community. The covenant means that Royal Mail recognises the value that serving regular and reservist personnel, veterans and military families contribute to its business and the UK.

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Julie Pirone 07711446358/0131 316 7444

Royal Mail Press Office 0203 338 1007

Max Puller BFPO 07554 330 426

Background

A need for a Postal Service for troops in the field has always been considered essential was considered to be essential. It was not, however, until 1808 during the Peninsular War that the First Army Post Office was put into operation. In 1840 another Army Post Office was put into operation during the first Chinese War. On the 22 July 1882, Queen Victoria authorised the formation of the Post Office Corps which was formed from the 24th Battalion Middlesex Volunteers for service in the Egyptian and Sudanese campaigns. The Post Office Corps was then followed by a second Army Postal Corps called The Royal Engineers Telegraph Reserve. In 1889 both Reserve Corps were reorganised into 2 supplementary companies to give an efficient Postal and Telegraph Service during the South African War. Nineteen Hundred and Eight saw a further reorganisation of the 2 reserve companies when they amalgamated into the Royal Engineers (Postal Section).

The Home Postal Depot was formed in London in 1914 to fulfil two functions. Firstly, it served as a central sorting and distribution point for all Forces mails and, secondly, for the training of RE (PS) personnel. During 1918, experiments were carried out using modified aircraft for transporting troops' mail by air. Tests proved successful, and the first regular airmail service from Folkestone to Cologne was set up in March 1919 to provide British troops in Germany with a fast mail service. This was the world's first scheduled airmail service, and was swiftly adopted by civil Post Offices worldwide. The Second World War saw the RE (PS) serving on all fronts worldwide, and detached with forward troops. During that war, it was held by a famous Commander that his troops could march 3 or 4 days without food on the strength of one letter.

In 1962, the Home Postal Depot moved its location to Inglis Barracks in Mill Hill, North West London, and accepted responsibility for Royal Naval mail and HM Ships mail from the civil Post Office. Thus, BFPO had become a British Forces Tri-service Organisation, (having previously also accepted responsibility for RAF mails), and an international military service with its units in NATO. The UK Forces Courier Service was rationalised in 1974, and a Courier Wing (now the Defence Courier Service) was introduced within the Home PCC Depot RE. This Wing accepted the transmission of all classified document carriage within UK in addition to the existing worldwide service, and their output is the same today. In 1983, HM The Queen visited the Postal and Courier Depot as part of the Centenary celebrations of the Postal and Courier Service. In 2007, BFPO joined the newly created Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation, as well as moving to a brand new, state of the art headquarters within the site of RAF Northolt. BFPO services are funded jointly by the Ministry of Defence and Royal Mail.

The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) has a long, distinguished history of providing mail support to the UK Armed Forces around the world. It is widely recognised that the facility to keep deployed personnel in touch with loved ones is vital to the morale and wellbeing of our people and their families and friends. The EFFMS exists to allow families and friends to send comfort items, with a view to providing much-needed succour, to those deployed on Operations overseas, often in austere conditions and hostile environments. EFFMS consignments should be no heavier than 2kg, with dimensions up to 450 x 350 x 160mm. These dimensions equate roughly to the size of a shoebox. EFFMS is a welfare service, and is not intended for use by commercial organisations or internet shopping. Every year, Defence authorises the Christmas Families' Free Mail Service (CFFMS) in the period preceding Christmas. In addition to the year-round EFFMS, the CFFMS will continue, with qualifying locations, including Ships, to be confirmed prior to the issue of the latest recommended posting dates for Christmas.