ZEEBRUG GE •
[To lhe'l-ditor af the SPECTATOR.] Sta,—With reference to the article by Mr. F. Yeats-Brown in the issue of the Spectator of November 8th, I would like, with your permission, to correct one or two small errors. Having had the honour to serve as 1st Lieutenant in H.M.S. ` Iris II' under Commander Gibbs in the adventure at ?.ecbrugge, and assuming command on my Captain's death,
I am enabled to give yon the information that Lieutenant- Commander Bradford and Lieutenant Hawkins did not serve in the ' Vindictive,' but in the Iris' and, when that vessel was placed alcingside the Mole, the former officer climbed a demi& and placed a grapiSel on the wall. This grapnel
drew out straight because of the strain and Bradford was shot whilst endeavouring to secure a wire rope. His body fell between the Mole and the ship. Lieutenant Hawkins climbed the first and only ladder erected from the ' Iris' to the Mole and, when last I saw hint, was defending himself with his revolver.
The crew of the Iris' numbered three hundred and sixteen and we had ninety-one dead and one hundred and thirteen wounded on our return to Dover. The landing party of Marines numbered fifty-six as stated in the article, but we only got two of the party out alive from the foremast well deck. The credit for the placing of the " Brows " and securing ropes of the Vindictive' is due entirely to the ollieers and men of that vessel, and the fact that she was enabled to remain alongside the Mole at all was by reason of the admirable seamanship displayed by Lieutenant Campbell in continually pushing the Vindictive ' against the Mole by his ship Daffodil.' I am sure it will interest you to know that H.M. ships' Iris ' and' Daffodil ' are now reconditioned and maintain the Ferry Service between Liverpool and 'Wallasey under the names of Royal Iris ' and ' Royal Daffodil.'—I am, Sir, &e.,
OSCAR IIENDErismv,
Lieut.-Commander, Royal Navy, Retired. Government House, Hillsborough, Northern Ireland.
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