No doubt many readers will have seen the television series Making Waves on which the name of HMS Suffolk is used.

I have protested to the Second Sea Lord in a lengthy letter on behalf of our association, concerning what is a serious error of judgement by the Royal Navy, suggesting to Carlton Television that the name of a noble Second World War warship be given to a soap opera. Our members are quite affronted by that absurd decision.

Complaints are beginning to come in from relatives of men who served on Suffolk and they are also highly indignant. HMS Suffolk is not a "fictitious" name as is now being widely and erroneously reported.

It was a heavy cruiser and served the country well in the Norwegian campaign in 1940, where Suffolk was badly damaged through enemy action with many lives lost, as well as being involved in the celebrated Bismarck action in which Suffolk was the first to sight that elusive German battleship.

It was a well-disciplined, extraordinarily efficient cruiser, well deserving the accolade of being a "happy" ship, as all of our surviving members will testify.

We are particularly anxious to contact any of your readers who have a deceased relative who served on Suffolk during the war or at any time - particularly any who were aboard Suffolk during the Bismarck action. This is in connection with our civic reception at Stratford-upon-Avon in September 2005.

-John C Blackman, President of the HMS Suffolk Association, Saltdean Drive, Brighton