Thirty-five years back • Commander Pearson's encounter with the lifeboat service off the Scottish coast during the last war, described in his letter published in the spring issue of THE LIFEBOAT, interested me very much. Having spent a considerable amount of time on research into lifeboat history, I believe I may be able to supply a few of the details of that incident.

It did take place in 1940, as Commander Pearson thought, on November 3 to be precise, and the boat involved was the Fraserburgh lifeboat, John and Charles Kennedy. She was probably under the command of Captain Andrew Stephen, honorary secretary of the station, the regular coxswain having been called up for service in the Royal Navy only two months previously.

The lifeboat was launched at 2143, after the ss Eros, of Belfast, had been hit in the engine room by an aerial torpedo, killing two men. By the time the lifeboat reached the scene, about eight miles north east of Fraserburgh, 26 of the crew of Eros had been taken on board HMS Challenger and the lifeboat saved the remaining 17, transferring them to Challenger.

After helping connect a tow rope from Eros to Challenger, the lifeboat returned to the shore to inform the naval authorities that the casualty was being towed close inshore towards Aberdeen, being eventually brought safely into harbour.—J. p. MORRIS, 14 Medina Road, Foleshill, Coventry.

Collections in Wales • People living outside the Principality are apt to consider Wales as comprising of the City of Cardiff, and only what Cardiff does or can do is of any importance. On page 140 of the spring issue of THE LIFEBOAT you state that Cardiff ladies' guild were the first in Wales to exceed £1,000 in their street and house collection.

On behalf of the ladies of the Swansea and Mumbles guilds I cannot allow this erroneous statement to pass unchallenged.

The Swansea and Mumbles ladies' guilds in their street collections (house to house collections cannot be held if a street collection is permitted) raised £1,146 in 1972 and £1,352 in 1973. Their combined efforts in other events far exceeded the £650 claimed for Cardiff.

Whenever Mumbles is mentioned in RNLI publications it is called 'The Mumbles'. One does not say 'The Chelsea' or The Victoria'. Why do you refer to the seaside part of Swansea in this way ? The definitive is not correct.— COMMODORE C. A. S. COLBURN, OBE, MNI, honorary secretary, Swansea, Mumbles and District branch, Richmond House, Richmond Road, Uplands, Swansea, Glamorganshire.

We apologise to the ladies of Swansea and Mumbles for having, unintentionally, overlooked their splendid results, and to Mumbles for the misrepresentation of its name.

In reply to the first sentence, may we refer readers to page 128 of the spring issue of THE LIFEBOAT—EDITOR.

Hat trick • I am pleased to tell you that I have been appointed honorary secretary of the new Honiton branch. This is my own hat trick, as I have previously served in the same position at Liskeard (Cornwall) and Tavistock (Devon), each time setting up a new branch. Can anyone better that score, or is it a record ?— GEOFFREY J. HEATHCOCK, 729 High Street, Honiton, Devon.

Thanks • Would you kindly convey my thanks to the members of the lifeboat crew who devoted so much time and effort in searching for my son and his friends in November? I realise the outcome was disappointing for them and very sad for me, but I do appreciate the goodwill of all concerned in the search.

All three boys were devoted Christians and had hoped to dedicate their lives to medical work. I thank God who gave me such a son and I know He makes no mistakes, even when we cannot understand His ways.—MARGARET WINTELER, 21 Waldron Road, Broadstairs, Kent.

At 1918 on Saturday evening, November 10, 1973, an anticipatory message was received from the Coastguard that three young men in a sailing dinghy were overdue, having launched at Dump/on Gap at 1430, and that further checks were being made. At 2003 the Coastguard reported that the dinghy was still missing and the Ramsgate lifeboatMichael and Lily Davis was launched. Thenwas a gale force south westerly wind ami i rough sea. The lifeboat searched inshore to North Foreland, east to Elbow Buoy, south to Goodwin Knoll and west to Gull and Broadstairs Knoll, throughout the night.

A helicopter joined the search at first light.

Nothing was found and at 0900 the lifeboat returned to her station.—EDITOR.

Good wishes • A note to wish Oliver Warner's book well on Thursday, and to say how much all of us have enjoyed, and are enjoying, working with the RNLI.

1 would be glad if you could pass on to everybody our very warm wishes, our thanks, and our pride in publishing your History.—KENNETH PARKER, Director, Cassell and Company Ltd, 35 Red Lion Square, London, WCIR 4SG.

Publication date of Oliver Warner's History of the RNLI, The Life-boat Service (reviewed on page 180), was Thursday, April 25. The book was published by Cassell.—THE EDITOR Model boats • I feel that I must let you know how the reference to some details of the production of miniature yacht models in the winter edition of THE LIFEBOAT is resulting in some gratifying contributions to the RNLI, not only by way of my own donations from commissions but also those made by my clients, including the enrolment of a number of new Shoreline members.

Even the loan of a model of the Royal Navy's 55' Nicholson training yacht Adventure for a Petty Officer's project at HMS Vernon at Portsmouth provided a contribution to the local branch.

Shortly after his arrival in England, I was honoured by a visit from Ramon Carlin, the Mexican owner and skipper of the beautiful ketch Sayula II, the overall winner of the Whitbread Round the World race: a truly wonderful performance, together with that of Adventure, for virtually standard yachts.

In addition to a model of his yacht, I have been commissioned to produce one of a Thames barge, in which Mr Carlin showed considerable interest. He was very impressed by the activities of the RNLI and its history.—BRIAN H, WILLIAMS, Breamore Cottage, Bridgefield, Farnham, Surrey..