Your Letters Continued Figurehead history Sir - During the early years of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's existence, hundreds, if not thousands, of sailing ships were lost around the coast of the United Kingdom and many daring and courageous rescues undertaken.

The saving of human life being of the utmost priority, it was only after this was achieved that thought was given to the stricken vessel and her cargo, in many cases the wreckage being strewn over miles of coastline.

One object of particular interest to myself is the ship's figurehead. At the moment I am researching the subject of international ships' figureheads, both naval and merchant, plus other maritime wood carvings, and would very much value help and advice from fellow members of the RNLI and readers of the journal as to the location of such items around our coast, or details of figureheads that have subsequently been lost through neglect or decay.

It would be sad if such items of our maritime heritage were to be lost to future generations without an attempt to record them.

Richard Hunter 15 Aughton Avenue, Aughton, Nr. Sheffield, South Yorkshire S31 OXB Family feeling Sir - One of the nicest things that happened to me during two spells in hospital recently was to receive a 'get well' card signed by all the staff at Welsh Region Office in Cardiff.

This kind and thoughtful gesture, to me, typified the RNLI in that we in guild and branch are not just looked on as cogs in a big machine but as individual members of one large, happy family united in a common purpose - giving support to courageous men who save lives at sea.

H.W.West Newport, Gwent.

Letters on any aspect of the RNLI are welcomed by the Editor, who reserves the right to shorten or amend them as necessary.

Write to: The Editor, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.

Grace Darling in song Sir -1 have been reading an article on Grace Darling which reminded me of a song my mother used to sing to me when I was a small child.

I am 91 years of age and my father was a fisherman and a lifeboatman at Sheringham, Norfolk. My grandfather was also a fisherman.

The song my mother sang, which perhaps you may of heard, was as follows.

There may have been further verses which I cannot recall.

T'was on the Longstone lighthouse There dwelt an English maid Pure as the air around her And of danger not afraid One morning just at daybreak A storm tossed wreck she spied And though to try seemed madness I'll save the crew she cried And she pulled away in the dashing spray Over the waters blue Help, help, she could hear the cry Of the shipwrecked crew But Grace had an English heart And the raging storm she braved She pulled away in the dashing spray And the crew she saved Mrs P.E. Day Woodbridge, Suffolk.Ex-lifeboats - identified and unidentifiedSir - The ex-lifeboat seen at Kippford (Readers' letters, Autumn issue) is in fact ex-ON 741 Morison Watson - a 35ft 6in by 8ft lOin self-lighter which was stationed at Kirkcudbright from 1931 to 1953. She is now called Scauponian.

As part of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society's 25th anniversary I am producing a booklet on ex-lifeboats, and any information, however small, on the current whereabouts of any ex-lifeboat would be invaluable to me.

There are three almost fool-proof ways of identifying an ex-lifeboat: 1. The official number which is on an oval plate, usually on the aft end-box. The latest ON issued is 1166.

2. The builders number, which is usually on the bow stem, starboard side, and consists of one or two letters followed by a number up to four figures. For example the boat mentioned above was: S.E. Saunders, build number 560; a J.S. White boat may be W1710, a W. Osborne boat WO996, and a Thames Ironwork boat TL10.

3. The official registration number, which will be somewhere on the superstructure as a six-figure number, maybe with 'ORN' in front of it.

Any of these numbers will enable us to identify positively any boat.

I have several photographs of exlifeboats which I have been unable to identify, and enclose one of a Watson seen at Lochgilphead and now called Athena could anyone held me? A. J. Denton Dawn, Upper Battlefield, Shrewsbury SY44AAMorison Watson - a candidate Sir -1 refer to Mr John Brunning's letter (Readers' Letters, Autumn issue) concerning the ex-lifeboat at Kippford.

As Mr Brunning states, she is indeed believed to be the former Kirkcudbright lifeboat. I thought other readers may be interested in further details.

She was the Morison Watson (ON 741), a 35ft 6in single-screw self-righter built in 1931 and stationed at Kirkcudbright from 1931 to 1953 when she was sold out of service. In her service period she launched 30 times, saving 15 lives.

She has been based at Kippford for for preservation many years. I remember seeing her myself when holidaying with my parents back in 1968. Latterly she carried the name Scauponian. It was pleasing to see the old boat still survives.

As she is believed to be the last unconverted example of her type still in existence it would have been marvellous to have seen her preserved in her RNLI form.

T.N. Kirton Member of the Lifeboat Enthusiasts' Society Denholme Village, Bradford..