Troops await Christmas gift boxes

The 2007 box included playing cards and tea-bags. Pic: BAE Systems

An annual campaign to send gift boxes to British troops serving abroad at Christmas is due to be launched.

Charity UK4U is sending 24,500 gift boxes to troops who are fighting overseas or are in hospital.

Each box contains about 20 items, although the contents are being kept secret until 25 December.

This is the fifth year of the scheme, which was inspired by a similar project devised by Princess Mary, daughter of King George V, in 1914.

The boxes, which are the same size as a standard ration pack, will be sent to troops using existing supply lines and transport.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: "What we're trying to do is demonstrate that the public is supporting our troops at Christmas.

The content has to be non-perishable, so you can't put any chocolate in Charity spokeswoman

"Because we're not going through the British Forces Post Office, the boxes aren't clogging up the system. Everyone gets one."

This year's campaign will be launched on the banks of the Thames, in London, on Wednesday.

Defence Minister Kevan Jones will meet armed forces personnel recently returned from combat.

He will be joined by actor Ross Kemp, who played a soldier in the TV drama series Ultimate Force.

In October the MoD urged the public to donate to military charities such as UK4U instead of sending surprise Christmas parcels to troops they do not know.

Many well-intentioned people have in the past sent gifts to combat zones, asking that they are passed to service personnel.

But the MoD says the parcels have stopped personal letters and gifts from friends and family arriving in time.

Last Christmas, the public sent 21,000 sacks of mail to troops in Afghanistan, which the MoD said caused problems with its "logistics chain".

Princess Mary's idea in 1914 led to everyone serving abroad being given a brass box containing a pipe, a lighter, tobacco and cigarettes.

In 2007 gifts included reading lights, flashing armbands for sports use, Christmas hats, playing cards, razors, tea-bags, games and compasses.

A charity spokeswoman added: "The content has to be non-perishable, so you can't put any chocolate in. And alcohol is prohibited in some countries."