Posted by John Wilson on January 17, 2006 at 23:44:50 from 202.154.130.151 user hugo.
In Reply to: Re: Signs of the Times - speedy postal service posted by Rob Marshall on January 16, 2006 at 22:38:43:
Re Airmail, Imperial Airways had air services to Egypt (Alexandria) via Athens by c1927, but with a service once or twice weekly and the need to send the letter on to Malta from Alexandria or Athens a letter to Malta by air could still take several days. See Imperial Airways site. Would the RAF have provided air services for government mail?
The telegram could have gone by cable or radio. As Dick says in PP telegraph transmission is (practically) instantaneous, but I think that telegrams via cable would have been repeated (hence some delay) at one or more intermediate points as there would not be a direct Britain-Malta (undersea cable?) circuit. Eg via France, Greece or even Gibraltar? Probably using by the 1920s teleprinters (Creed) which printed letters onto a gummed strip of paper which was stuck onto a telegram form for delivery. Morse keys and operators in the 19th & early 20th century cable telegraph circuits, and later for radio circuits?