Mr Hinecap.
I have no idea of how much mail travels out from the UK, but also know it is not relevant here.
The fact is we do not have a finite air bridge, as it could be altered. No one I have spoken to says it cannot be done, ergo it CAN be done.
Whether it will be done is a totally different manner, which was re enforced by the thread on how it took U.S. help to save a British soldiers life, as we could not do it (an equipment issue NOT personnel).
No matter how much mail is being sent out, it must be tiny compared to what was planned for in the event of the (now old fashioned idea of) cold war kicking off in Europe, with a magnitude more troops to deliver to (and a reserve force set up ready to deal with it).
I also note you refer to 'tat', which from memory of my own service, seems to indicate you may be RAF. Maybe things have changed, but it was always the case that the RAF were much more easily supplied, than forward army units, who traditionally welcomed the items you refer to as tat.
I think I know the point you are coming from, as one of being resigned to lack of aircraft, and resources, but then I also know that when it suited them, the government instantly found 28 billion to sort out the banks, with previously non existent money. Just imagine the AT (and mail system) the MOD could have if the government decided the British forces were worth bothering with in any way.
