Letter: Dyed-in-the-wool fan of Burton's

Sir: I imagine Alan Harrow's explanation (letter, 12 April) of the use of 'Gone for a Burton' by the RAF in the Second World War to describe the fate of missing aircrew personnel raised a few eyebrows among your older readers.

It is improbable that the testing of wireless operator/air gunners for morse code proficiency above Burton's at Blackpool led to the use of the phrase throughout the RAF, when these words were encountered on advertising hoardings all over England in the years prior to the war: the advert featured a group of people asking the whereabouts of one of their number who was absent. The answer came: 'He's gone for a Burton' - a popular brand of beer at the time.

Faithfully,

E. PAULL

London, SW16

12 April