HAROLD Price is dismissive of National Servicemen. During the entire emergency in Cyprus, I was in charge of a large section of National Servicemen. Every one of them was truly excellent and they worked hard and played hard.

As part of our day job was to locate and dismantle improvised explosive devices, it tended to concentrate the mind!

I was quite happy to work alongside these lads and trusted them with my life without question.

I am still in touch with most of them and all would say that their tour of duty in Cyprus was the making of them. All have gone on to do well in civvy street.

But then, I always thought that the Royal Air Force tended to have a rather better class of National Service men!

MIKE PARKER, Netley Abbey.