SIR - I was intrigued by the letter headed "What's a soldier's life worth?" (T&A, December 30).

I set sail with my unit for Normandy in August while the battle for Caen was still going on.

Once at sea the ship's captain lined us up on deck while he told us that night we would cross the Channel and would probably come under fire from German heavy guns.

If the ship were to be hit, the lifeboats were for the crew only, the life rafts piled up on deck were for us. Only the injured or wounded would be allowed the rafts, others were supposed to hang on to rope handles on the sides.

Under no circumstances would any ship in the convoy stop to pick up survivors.

That night we were shelled as one or two of the ships were hit but none sunk that I knew of.

I wish the media would stop making political capital from our casualties. I do not remember this happening during the Falklands war.

Enough said.

K Woodcock, Mostyn Grove, Wibsey