Dear Mr Valentine,

I am writing on behalf of my father who read an article in yesterday's Daily Express about the R.M.B. website. My father, Charles Andrew Heath, R.M.B. X979 joined the R.N. School of Music, Deal in August 1936 aged 14 yrs 1 month. His instruments were sax/violin. His ships were: 1] H.M.S. Prince of Wales 1941 ( Bismarck, Atlantic Charter Churchill/Rooseveldt -- band playing at service on newsreel, Russian/Malta convoy escort & finally Singapore and loss of ship at the hands of the Japanese airforce 10.12.41.) 2] H.M.S. Sheffield 1943/4 (Amalfi Italy, Battle of the North Cape ---sinking of Scharnhorst which together with Gneisnau had sunk his elder brother`s ship the aircraft carrier, H.M.S. Glorious on 8th June 1940 with tremendous loss of life inc. that of Frederick John Heath R.M.B. X706 who had been at Deal 1934/37 and had joined Glorious in January 1938. His instrument had been solo clarinet. 3] H.M.S. Anson 1945 (Far East inc. H.Kong & Japan) 4] H.M.S. Mauritius c1949/51 based in Ceylon.

I`m almost certain that Vivian Dunn signed my father's discharge papers in 1953. From your members' lists a few have service numbers around that of my father's. He would be pleased to hear from anyone who remembers him via my email address. His postal address is: 704 Warrington Road, Risley, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6AU telephone: 01925 813626

I have photographs of the RMB on Glorious' last commission but can't identify anyone except my uncle. From the CWGC website I have their service numbers, ages at death, next of kin etc but as they were all killed and it happened almost 60 years ago I'm not optimistic about getting any further with this. I also have 4 Globe & Laurel Journals from 1938/40 and the R.M. Museum kindly photocopied the Glorious notes from the journals that I hadn`t got. Also a small booklet from the dedication service of the RMB WW2 Memorial at Burford 1948 contains the names of the 200 + RMB Service members who died in WW2.

I hope this hasn't bored you!

Yours sincerely,

Nigel Heath

[Editor] How can such important and precious information EVER bore one? Many thanks for your input my friend. Rich Valentine.