Trading Stamps Appeal May I say a big thank you to all the readers who have sent me trading stamps? I have at last raised £10,000 and am so grateful for all the help and encouragement I have received.

I started in a small way in 1976 and was assured by many people that 1 should never get off the ground. At times I haven't known where to appeal next, but a letter to "Family Circle" magazine brought in over £1,000. so I tried other sources—some with more success than others, but all helped.

A sudden inspiration prompted me to send out letters to county secretaries of the wi. Oh my! that brought in bags full of parcels, packets and envelopes. The postman literally left me one of his sacks on the doorstep one day! One small wi group donated over £100 in stamps. I shall never forget their excitement as each lot came along.

Another appeal brought in a box of Green Shield stamps so heavy that I could only push it to one corner of my hall and work from there. A second letter to "Family Circle" has resulted in another £1,000, pushing me on to my £10,000 target.

I have made so many friends—and I hope for the RNLI too—in the people who have written letters. Some I have heard from again and again as they gathered in stamps from their friends.

Others have made just one donation of stamps found tucked away, probably for years, waiting to be used in some way or another. Many have failed to give a name or address and it is to those I should like to send my thanks now.

They have all helped.

I should also like to say how grateful I am to some of the staff and occupants of Dartmoor Prison. As you may know, they do a great deal for the RNLI, raising many thousands of pounds, but they generously pass on to me the majority of the trading stamps they receive. It has all helped me enormously.

The stamps are still coming in, especially since Green Shield started up again and I welcome them, but no more targets! The lifeboatmen never say no and neither do I. I'll do anything to help them along.—MRS NORAH NEILL, 95 Fitzroy Avenue, Hurborne. Birmingham B178RG.

Happy memories I was most interested to read in the current issue of the journal (No. 502) about the 46ft Watson class lifeboat built by John Samuel White of Cowes and now based at St Helena. I was a senior apprentice at the time and can remember working on her construction.

Indeed I can think of no other craft atthat time which offered so much interest during its construction. In fact from laying the keel to completion gave immense satisfaction.

Like so many others I left the firm to join the forces for world war two and since then have used my boat building knowledge purely for pleasure. Nevertheless, I shall always feel proud to have served an apprenticeship building lifeboats for the RNLI. Another incident in 1949 which I recall, was dropping anchor in Freemantle. Western Australia to await the pilot who duly arrived alongside. The tender had lifeboat written all over it. I asked the pilot where she was built. You've guessed it—John Samuel White of Cowes before the war, although he did not know the date.— IAN LEAI. Brightslone, Newport, Isle of Wight.

Paying for rescue? I see in the Autumn edition of The Lifeboat that 62% of all services were to pleasure craft and I believe that when a lifeboat goes to the aid of a pleasure craft the owner should make a worthwhile contribution, say £1.000.

It would, of course, be against all that the RNLI stands for to make such a contribution compulsory; indeed, it would not be possible. Something should be done, I believe, through publicity to make those who use the service aware of their obligations. The insurance companies could help by offering cover, as an extra, should a lifeboat be called out.

I have sailed all my life and I know what a wonderful job is done by the RNLI and I think it deserves help in raising funds from all sources.—MAJOR (RET'D) o N F CASF.. Harnham, Salisbury, Wilts.

Reunion plans On May 7, 1988. a reunion has been arranged of all ex Royal Navy personnel who manned landing craft during the 39/45 war and who carried out landings on enemy occupied territory. These landing craft were known as LSTS (Landing Ship Tanks) and LCTS (Landing Craft Tanks) and are the forgotten navy.

This is the first reunion of landing craft crews ever to take place and it would be nice to make it a great success.

Anyone interested can write to me or telephone and I will furnish them with all details of the itinerary.—w j CHALK, 75 Cobham Wav, Merlev, Wimborne, Dorset, BH2J 1SJ. Tel. (0202} 88V3W.

Ditched airman's tale Having recently taken on a convenership in Tarves, Aberdeenshire, I thought of my first involvement with rescue services.

As a cadet in the Air Training Corps and flying from HMS Jackdaw at Crail in Fife, I had the misfortune on January 15, 1944, to be in a Barracuda aircraft which ditched in the North Sea. I'm not allowed to forget the date as it is also -my wedding anniversary! The fortunate part of the ditching was that the sea was relatively flat and, although my Mae West was faulty, the aircraft's dinghy was serviceable (I'm (Continual on /wi.ijr 278}(Continued from page 211) still unable to swim). I owe my life initially to the observer member of the crew, who pulled me out through the plane's wireless compartment, since the emergency fitting on the canopy was corroded, making normal emergency exit impossible. After that there was no way i could have been lost. With the other two members I was picked up by a lobster-fishing boat. While still on this boat the Air-Sea Rescue launch based at Anstruther appeared and later a Sea Otter aircraft from HMS Jackdaw arrived to pick us up. However, these craft were not required and we were landed at Crail Harbour to be taken to the local sick bay.

It's comforting to know these services continue when trouble strikes. Incidentally, as a result of the above, I found myself the youngest entrant to and member of the Goldfish Club, up to the time of the Falklands War.—ANDY DUFF, Tarres, Elian, Aberdeenshire.

Humour recalled? I am an ex RN officer now beavering away in Cornwall writing books—all of which are on naval topics. I have been commissioned to edit a humourous title for publication in about seven months time. To be able to get the book off the ground I would like to be able to write to as many naval officers as possible who have (a) Commanded an RN (seagoing) ship (b) Commanded an RN air squadron (c) Commanded a Royal Fleet auxiliary (d) Been an Officer in Charge WRNS I am sure there are dozens of the above souls who read your publication.

Could I ask that any of them that read this could write to us with their name and address so that we can send them a letter outlining what we want for the book and offering them the opportunity to contribute? We will be paying those contributors whose material we use.— M A CRITCHI.EY, PenmMer, Lodge Hill, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 4EL.

Time on their hands It occurs to me that there might well be any number of private schemes of fund raising for the RNLI being carried out across the whole country.

I know, through reading your magazine, of the sterling efforts made by staff and inmates of HM Prison, Dartmoor who convert postage stamps into cash, making a valuable contribution to the funds of the Institution.

There must be many more, such as myself, who contribute to the prisoners' work who would be interested to learn from the "treasurer" of the current weights of their contributions.

If this sort of statistic were to appear in print, then those contributing from their various sentences "in nick" might be able, in happier, non-custodial times, to point to their having had honourable connections while serving as one of Her Majesty's guests.—J L DAVIKS, Wilnixlow, Cheshire..