Dismal donations

PEOPLE are reportedly donating unsellable items to charity shops. This is not a new problem.

For years, I organised a charity Christmas market at my place of worship and had to address the issue with this publicity leaflet: ‘The market is the place for plenty of bargains, but bear in mind items must be sellable.

‘Incomplete jigsaws; old pictures that have turned blue; oddly matched crockery; single shoes; untested electrics; and tiddlywinks with neither tiddlies nor winks are not much use. Neither are one-legged, one-eyed teddies nor Barbie dolls with distressingly advanced alopecia.

‘They waste space and frighten small children.’ This had the desired effect.

ALAN CHESTER, Liverpool.

Sadness

THE extracts from Max Hastings’ book about the Malta convoy (Mail) brought back sad memories. My brother Thomas Lee was killed in the siege of Malta in 1942. He was a telegrapher on the Royal Navy ship HMS Greyhound, which was torpedoed and sunk. After 17 hours in the water, he was rescued by HMS Kingston.

After a short leave, he was transferred to the Kingston on another Malta convoy.

It was also torpedoed, but managed to limp into Valletta harbour, where it was attacked by German Stuka bombers. Tragically, most of the crew, including my brother, were blown to smithereens.

Tom and his fellow crew members are buried six to a grave in Imtarfa military cemetery. When I visited Malta, the curator of the Valletta War Museum, like all the people I met, was kind and friendly. But not all of the islanders appreciate the sacrifice of the 5,700 British Service personnel who died during the siege. In the past, there have even been calls to bulldoze military cemeteries for new buildings.

Max Hastings’s book should be compulsory reading to enlighten people of the human sacrifice and suffering.

ALEX LEE, Hartlepool, Co. Durham.

MY FATHER, Gordon, served on HMS Penn and often spoke about Operation Pedestal.

He manned an anti-aircraft gun and was at action stations solidly for four days and nights under continuous attack.

He rescued sailors covered in oil from sinking merchant ships. He told me about the tanker Ohio being lashed to HMS Penn and HMS Brabben.

It limped into Valletta harbour to cheering crowds. My father was also involved in Atlantic convoys on HMS Malcolm, and on HMS Ajax during the D-Day landings.

R. HART, Lowestoft, Suffolk.