Operation Giftbox: Defence chiefs race to give every soldier a Christmas present from the public

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Commanders say they have been overwhelmed by the huge number of cards and packages sent to soldiers, Royal Marines and RAF personnel by total strangers who simply want to thank them for their devotion to duty.

The parcels contain everything from sweets and chocolates to magazines, games and fresh socks.

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Special Delivery: Mail is airlifted to British frontline troops in Afghanistan - now defence chiefs want every soldier on the front line to receive a gift from the public

Last week alone, the Ministry of Defence sent more than 40 tons of mail from the British Forces Post Office sorting office at Northolt, West London, to Basra in southern Iraq and Helmand province in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, where around 450 soldiers from the Scots Guards and elements of 6 Battalion, the 52nd Lowland, are presently deployed, the increased volume - 20 per cent up on last year - has forced the MoD to hire a civilian helicopter to ferry the letters and parcels from Kandahar to Camp Bastion, British forces' main forward base.

Capable of ferrying 2.5 tons of mail at a time, the helicopter, with commercial pilots, has been contracted to fly 25 hours a week.

But such is the demand that the time may be extended beyond New Year in case anybody loses out.

The military mailshot was nearly ruined by the recent hard-fought battle to retake the Afghan city of Musa Qaleh from the Taliban - because the operation tied up so many troops and aircraft.

But now that top brass have instigated Operation Christmas Box, they hope to get the presents to frontline troops in time for the 25th.

Over yuletide, off-duty soldiers will be served Christmas dinners and drinks by their officers but will be limited to two cans of beer with their meal in case they are called to arms.

Getting the massive quantities of seasonal food and drink to the battle zones has been a logistical nightmare.

Troops in Afghanistan and Iraq will eat their way through three tons of turkey, 16,880 Christmas puddings, 18,288 Christmas cakes, 18,192 mince pies, three tons of potatoes and more than 30,000 after-dinner mints.

Brigadier Andrew Mackay, Commander of British Forces in Helmand, said last night: "Our logistics teams are working flat out to ensure that parcels are in time for Christmas."