Bravery endures Thank you for the autumn issue of the magazine.

The article on Henry Shrimp Davies was of great interest to me: my brother was a crew member of the SS English Trader on that fateful night and at the age of 17 years the youngest. 'Bookie' by name and, as it turned out, bookie and baker by trade in the Merchant Navy. A very traumatic experience for a young lad at war, but thanks to the RNLI and the bravery of its crew, the Davies family, and Henry Blogg in particular, is still alive (but not kicking) today.

These men and their families are never forgotten.

LR Reeve LanesFiley floods Many times during my days as a keen sea angler I have witnessed the bravery and promptness of the local RNLI volunteers based here at Filey but never in my wildest dreams did I ever contemplate being rescued by them from my front garden! The floods in this part of the country recently were the worst on record. It was obvious that the local fire brigade and police would take a long time to get to us, so imagine our surprise and amazement when the local inshore rescue boat, complete with crew and head launcher, sailed down our street and up our drive.

Each house was visited in turn and those requiring emergency accommodation were carried to the rescue boat and transported to local council offices. Without them we would have had to suffer hanging about our flooded homes with no power from early morning 'til late that night. I know for a fact that the crew were on duty all day from early morning 'til late evening.

We shall always be grateful for their efficient and well-practised rescue on that awful day.

Thank you.

Joe Scales FileyChasing the Chavasses I would like to thank the members of the family who wrote to me respecting the boathouse at Church Cove, the Lizard. It seems that the family had no connection with Cornwall, but the two cousins, who were Midlands-based benefactors of the RNLI, decided to commemorate their respective parents in this useful way. I understand there is good support for the RNLI in that area.

This is the wording on the stone: This Boathouse was erected and presented to the RNLI by two cousins partly at their own cost and with some help from friends in loving memory of their parents Thomas Chavasse Esq. FRCS and Miriam Sarah his wife, and the Revd. Horace Chavasse MA and Margaret Colquhoun his wife.

1887.' Ruth Lambert West SussexName the artist Could you help me? I am looking for the artist who painted the picture I have sent you. It is the former Dover lifeboat Lewis Morice, from 1888-1901.

Here is some information about Lewis Morice: The Lewis Morice was sent to Dover in 1888 and was a 37ftx8ft 12-oared self righting lifeboat costing £556. It was launched 18 times and saved 31 lives. I sent the photographs to the lifeboat enthusiasts' society, the Dover museum who are still researching and the National Maritime Museum who were unable to help.

Robert Strange Nottingham If you know anything about the above painting, please write to us at the Lifeboat and we will forward the information to Mr Strange.From Findochty to Hong Kong I read, with particular interest, the article in the Lifeboat Autumn 2002 entitled 'View from the cockpit' after recognising the photograph showing a helicopter hovering above a grassy promontory that looked familiar. It was near my home village of Findochty, near Buckie in North Scotland. The locals pronounce this Tinichty'. I noted however that the photograph caption misspelled the village name as 'Findochy'. This is in fact what happened when the sign writer made the sign for the original village which was a forced settlement from an area in Caithness I believe.

What the real name of the village was supposed to be is anybody's guess! I have been working in Hong Kong for over 20 years and was pleasantly surprised to be reminded of my birthplace in your magazine.

Thank you. Even in Hong Kong support for the RNLI is evident by car stickers and occasional jumpers in pubs.

Your efforts are indeed spread worldwide.

John Sinclair Hong KongLetter of the quarter As a new member (welcome pack received only yesterday!), I felt I should write and tell you how impressed I was when I read of the extent of your activities.

I have sailed for some 10 years but only now could be said to be taking it seriously - I am currently taking exams for my first skippers' ticket.

As are most people who sail, I was very aware of the value of the service, although I have been fortunate enough not to be the subject of a rescue. What I was not aware of was the level of activity that is undertaken by the numerous support groups around the country. Although the imagination is captured by the exploits of the service, it does seem incredible to me that such vital a service does not attract some form of centralised support from the government. Sailing is a pastime enjoyed by thousands and if you include commercial maritime activities, it is more than surprising that you have to rely on public subscription.

All of this makes the service you provide the more valuable and one that I am now proud to support regularly.

The quality of the material included in the welcome pack was excellent and the range of support you receive is a real credit to those who give up their own time to raise the much needed funds to provide the equipment and resource.

Many thanks to all concerned - I just hope that I never need to call on you! Steve Dennis 'Stroma at last' I thought you might be interested to read this account about the Queen Mother who on her frequent holidays to her home, the Castle May in Thurso, had looked across the Pentland Firth to the Isle of Stroma many times with great longing to visit the island. One day she decided to ask the skipper of the fishing vessel Primula at Scrabster harbour if he would take her across. His name was Angus Mclntosh and she had met him _ _ during her visit for Thurso's lifeboat week in August 1962. He J9 was coxswain of the B HCJ from 1937 'til he was called up for service with the Royal Navy Reserve. He . returned from a W meritorious war service, in the course of which he had been awarded the French Crois de Guerre along with the Distinguished Service Medal, and took up as coxswain again in 1945 until he retired in 1967, but spent many more years as skipper of Primula. The Three Sisters was in service at Thurso around the time the Queen Mother crossed to Stroma. I have a photograph of her and the crew (my husband's cousin was one of them). When she stepped ashore she said 'Stroma at last' and spent a few hours enjoying a picnic with her companions before sailing back.

Angus Mclntosh was a great character and, having met him many times when on holiday with my husband whose grandparents lived and brought up their family in Thurso, I shall never forget his twinkling eyes and sense of humour and his bravery. We always enjoyed the parcel of delicious fresh fish he gave to us when he landed his catch.

Audrey Brims LanesInver House Distillers, the makers of Old Pulteney whisky, have kindly agreed to give away a bottle of the genuine maritime malt to our 'Letter of the quarter'. So if you've got any burning issues to get off your chest about lifeboats or a related subject, put your pen to paper and send your letter to: Your Letters, The Lifeboat. RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH151HZ or email us at [email protected] All letters intended for consideration should be clearly marked 'For Publication'..