Any information? I am researching the disaster which overtook HM Submarine Thetis in Liverpool Bay on 1 June 1939. At the time, it was the world's worst submarine loss in which 99 men perished.

If any readers have personal recollections, books, article, photos or memorabilia connected with this event, I would be very pleased to hear from them, especially regarding the service made by the Llandudno lifeboat carrying Dr.

Maddock Jones out to the destroyer Soma stationed at the scene.

Thank you in advance for any help readers may be able to give me.

Allen Rowlands A9 (Phase 2) Goto de Rosas 29620 Torremolinos (Malaga) Spain Designs for the future I always enjoy reading The Lifeboat - particularly the accounts of rescues and reports on technical developments.

I was, therefore, most interested in the article describing the evolution of a specification leading to the design of the next class of lifeboat. It is not surprising that the Institution leads the world in the design of lifeboats - not only from experience of the past but also from the 'in house' design ability.

But I then liked your intention to see if wider commercial experience could be involved in the production of the next generation of lifeboats.

This could not only benefit your own programme, but might give your commercial partner access to overseas sales of what will be a world beater.

Well done and good luck.

R F Jackson CBE MA FEng Cheshire Lifeboat abroad Recently whilst my wife and I were visiting friends in New Zealand they arranged for us to take a fishing trip out to the local Seal Islands and we were surprised and delighted to find our vessel to be ex-RNLI Liverpool class, Tillie Morrison Sheffield II, currently named Rescue III.

Mr Chadfield 'Chaddy' the present owner is very proud of her and operates an unofficial rescue service out of his base in New Plymouth harbour. I understand he bought her after she had been on station in Sumner, near Christchurch, New Zealand for some 20 years and prior to that had been stationed at Bridlington between 1953 and 1967.

A boathouse complete with slipway has been constructed and she is slipped and recovered with all passengers aboad after every charter. When I questioned the advisability of such frequent slipping the reply was, That is what she was designed to do.' The boathouse is full of lifeboat memorabilia and apart from the want of some fresh varnish, the lifeboat is a credit to her builders and the Institution.

Malcolm C Smith Cheshire Thanks to Eyemouth and Dunbar I wish to thank Eyemouth and Dunbar lifeboat crews for their superb effort and bravery on a long hazardous mission due to uncontrollable circumstances of our steering failure.

The Eyemouth lifeboat sailed 100 miles to our position which took 5 hours at 21 knots, incredible considering weather conditions - Severe Gale Force 9 with a 5-7m swell and deteriorating.

When I first saw the lifeboat some two and a half miles off, I thought it looked like a ball of spray coming towards us. Lying alongside of us, I was really surprised at the way the lifeboat handled in the rough conditions.

The tow was passed over and when we got into the tow and on course, I knew we were in for a rough time with the wind and sea on the port broadside. The lifeboat handled our boat with no problem at all, considering our length of 21m and weight of 68 tons. This was quite a feat for a smaller and lighter craft - with the lifeboat's engines at 3/4 speed doing 5-6 knots on its own. We assisted later with our own engines at low revs and full pitch. We increased our speed to some 8 knots, very good considering the conditions. Darkness closed in and the weather deteriorated. The swell was increasing and was, at times, as high as 8m. White waves were breaking over us on the broadside and at times we lost sight of the blue flashing light from the lifeboat.

We felt sorry for the lifeboat crews - with the rolling and pitching some were sick and it must have been very unpleasant for them.

At around 2300 our tow rope broke. The lifeboat was getting low on fuel so she returned to port to refuel and Dunbar lifeboat (also a Trent) took over the tow until Eyemouth boat returned - again, Dunbar lifeboat made an outstanding job in the rough seas.

One and a half miles of Eyemouth we took in two coils of tow rope where Eyemouth resumed the tow and the Dunbar lifeboat took the stern line - the tow ended shortly after 2300.

I hope the above helps you to form a picture of the event. My crew and I feel the lifeboats have proved beyond a doubt their outstanding efficiency and capability of the design of the Trent lifeboat - well done to both crews and boats.

Douglas Stewart Skipper, Mayflower (V) Editor's note: See Trent class 'cut-away' in the centre pages of this issue.

Letters from readers are always welcome. Address them to: The Editor, The Lifeboat, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset. BH15 1HZ and mark clearly 'for publication'..