BRIAN Beacom’s column (“Long johns might be pants but they are a comfort to me”, The Herald, December 14) reminds me of being a National Servicemen arriving in South Korea in the summer of 1955 with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. Most of us were 19 or 20-years-old and poured scorn on being issued with them. “Wearing things that grandad wore”, we scoffed but the onset of a Korean winter soon had us gratefully donning them. Whether they were flat fronted or otherwise was of no major concern in our situation.

John Macnab, 175, Grahamsdyke Street, Laurieston, Falkirk.