I refer to Ralph Leavis's comments (Oxford Mail, September 2), describing a recent letter of mine as "exploded rubbish".

I've never heard of Callimachus or his hymns. Let's stick to the facts, Mr Leavis.

Ultra gave Winston Churchill and his advisers 48, possibly 60 hours, warning of the devastating raid that was planned on Coventry.

Throughout their discussion, one factor was of paramount importance — the security of Ultra.

How important was the security of Ultra? Was it more important than the security of a major industrial city?

It would be for Churchill alone to decide, but if no extraordinary defensive measures could be taken to protect Coventry, might not a confidential warning that their city was about to be bombed on a large scale be given to civic authorities and to the fire-fighting, ambulance and hospital services?

Should not the population of the inner city, together with the aged, the young and those in hospitals who could be moved, be evacuated?

To all these propositions, Churchill said: "No — there must be no evacuations and no warnings."

The New York Times correspondent in London visited Coventry after the raid and reported: "Coventry is now like a city that has been wrecked by an earthquake."

The Times called Coventry a 'martyred city'.

Indeed, it was martyred in part to Ultra.

For some 554 of its citizens had been killed — 150 were buried in a common grave since it was impossible to identify the corpses — and 865 were seriously wounded.

Some 4,000 citizens suffered other wounds and burns and their city lay in ruins and devastation — such was the price paid for Ultra.

On November 14 and 15, 1940, the people of Coventry would not have called it "exploded rubbish".

FREDERICK CARTER Vicarage Court Vicarage Road Oxford