17 OCTOBER 1998, Page 28

The uses of literacy

Sir: How ungrateful of my former 'brother officer', Nicholas Lunt (Letters, 3 Octo- ber), to imply that I am, or was, illiterate. If he were to cast his mind back, he might remember that as his slightly superior offi- cer I had to write numerous pleading let- ters on his behalf to his bank manager, Mr Sheath of Salisbury, before we decided that the best thing was to post him to Oman for a prolonged period of financial rest and recuperation. I was also meticulous in cor- recting our squadron clerk's persistent mistyping of Nicholas's surname.

Christopher Renwick

The Folly, Felsted, Essex