Post Office Act 1908

6 Exemption of letters of seamen and soldiers

(1) Any of the privileged persons herein-after mentioned may send and receive letters, not exceeding half an ounce in weight, by post, or by private ships between the British Islands and places beyond the seas, on their own private concerns, at a postage of one penny for each letter when prepaid, subject in the case of letters sent by private ship to the payment of the gratuities payable to the master of the ship.

(2) The enjoyment of the privilege shall be subject to the following provisions :—

(a) The postage of any such letters sent by a privileged person (unless sent from parts beyond the sea) must be duly prepaid on the letter being posted :

(b) In the case of letters sent by a privileged person the name of the writer and his class or description in the vessel, regiment, corps, or detachment, to which he belongs must appear with the direction on the letter, and the name of the vessel, regiment, corps, or detachment, to which the privileged person belongs, and the signature of the officer commanding it, must be written on the letter by the said officer in his own handwriting :

(c) The postage on any such letter to be received by a privileged person (unless sent from parts beyond the sea) must have been duly prepaid on the letter being posted:

(d) Any such letter to be received by a privileged person must be directed to that person, and the vessel, regiment, corps, or detachment to which he belongs must be specified in the direction :

(e) Any such letter to be received by a privileged person must not be delivered to any person except the privileged person to whom it is addressed, or to some person authorised in writing to receive the letter by the officer in command :

(f) Where any such letters are sent or received by privileged persons from parts beyond the seas and the postage of one penny is not prepaid, every such letter shall be charged to the party receiving the letter with the postage of twopence.

(3) A Treasury warrant under this Act with respect to rates of postage shall, if necessary provide for the delivery of letters of privileged persons on their own private affairs (not exceeding, in the case of privileged persons, other than such commissioned and warrant officers and midshipmen and master's mates as are herein-after mentioned, half an ounce in weight) free from any postage in respect of re-direction.

(4) The privileged persons for the purpose of this section shall be the following persons, whilst actually employed in His Majesty's service whether at home or abroad ; namely,—

For all purposes every non-commissioned officer (not being a warrant officer) every band-master, school-master, and soldier in any of His Majesty's regular forces within the meaning of the Army Act, any special reservists within the meaning of Part III. of the [1 Edw. 7. c. 9.] Territorial and Reserve Forces Act, 1907, every seaman in His Majesty's navy or Indian marine service, and as regards re-direction every officer commissioned or not in the said regular forces, every commissioned officer in the special reserve of officers, and every non-commissioned officer in any body of special reservists, and every officer, commissioned or not, in the said navy or marine service, and every midshipman and master's mate in His Majesty's navy.

(5) If any commanding officer authorised to write his name and the name of the vessel, regiment, corps, or detachment commanded by him on the letter of a privileged person under this section wilfully writes his name upon a letter that is not from and on the private concerns only of a privileged person, he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

(6) If any person—

(a) not having at the time the command of any vessel, regiment, corps, or detachment, to which a privileged person belongs, writes his name upon a letter in order that it may be sent at a lower rate of postage than by law established ; or

(b) procures a privileged person to obtain the signature of his commanding officer upon a letter which is not from that privileged person and upon his private concerns only, in order to avoid the payment of the postage by law established ; or

(c) wilfully addresses a letter to a privileged person which is intended for another person or concerns the affairs of another person with intent to evade the payment of the postage by law established ;

he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

(7) If any privileged person obtains the signature of his commanding officer upon a letter which is not from that person and upon his private concerns only in order to avoid the payment of the postage by law established, he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding five pounds.