Admiral Miers
Sir: I am reluctant to prolong the debate about my uncle's actions off Crete, particu- larly as some of those who were there have written in forthright terms to the Sunday Telegraph to set the record straight, 'torpe- doing the allegations', and to defend his actions. However, before we hear any
more from Ludovic Kennedy about 'atroci- ties' or 'war criminals' I question the interpretation of 'courage' (or lack of it) which he expounded in your Diary (11 February) when attempting to link philo- sophically his and my uncle's behaviour.
For an author to refrain from naming someone in his book, but to enter the lists wholeheartedly when a national newspaper does it for him, seems to me to be the action not of a coward but of a cad, particularly as he is proud to announce that `nearly every fact [sic] in the story came from my book'.
My uncle foresaw that any account of his exploits which found its way into the national press would be likely to be sensa- tional and full of inaccuracies and tenden- tious conjecturings. It was for this reason, I suspect, that he refused to talk to journal- ists. You could call this 'lack of courage' but I regard it as common sense.
D.A.N.C. Miers
East Farmhouse, Wylye, Warminster, Wilts
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