Pen enemies

sir – While I can identify Peter J Newton (Letters, March 16) as the boy who sat behind me at school in the Remove, whose aim was to become a captain in the Merchant Navy like his father (which he achieved), I can assure him that he need not worry about his published views being disagreed with. He offers authoritative accounts of his maritime experience, often with wry humour.

As a correspondent of many years too, I have only experienced one contrary view in the form of a postcard from Scandinavia virulently contesting my claim that Sir Frank Whittle was the inventor of the jet engine, stating it was the invention of a German.

AHW Izod

Edenbridge, Kent