Correspondence – Page 29

Lt. White, R.M. 13. iv. 35

From Corby

Your story of the Uselees-Uzzees pun, of the
natives, is almost a quotation – and
– the pun which I failed to reproduce.

“Gell hin Odysseus, for the eddiones” was my final
rendering. ‘Twas not too fidion translatable.

The Hornby Ecclesiasticus is a lovely book. You
if our Odyssey had been of that class ….

Epstein is a great portrait artist, but a tiresome
personality, I fancy.

You mention my R.A.F. boats. The Navy Controller,
an Admiral called Henderson, is ordering them by the dozen:
for all ships: despite is to have her “amplibi equipment
hard-chined: and every destroyer is to have a 16-foot
Whiner dinghy. The War Office are equipping themselves
with them too. I had great development plans, which I have
left to my successors – and there is no successor yet.
Our latest boat does 48 m.p.h. “Ours” I say: poor fool.
It’s all over.

This is permanent (and only) address.

Yours ever

T E Shaw.

Why is a destroyer a bad design ? – because it has too
much length for its beam. Beyond 7 our beams to the length
one loses speed – in planing boats: and destroyers to be
along and fast should plane, by fast I mean 70 knots with
the present machinery – or h.p.