Malta, Operation Bowery, May 9, 1942
 

My father, passed on. He delivered a Spitfire MK VC off HMS Eagle on May 9, 1942 and another in June. I will be visiting Malta to honor Dad's adventure and to research some flight details that have otherwise escaped me. I only have one day as part of a cruise. If it were possible, might there be a daily log for that day that showed the actual painted numbers on the sides of the rondel? Does anyone know who to contact? What airfields and museums would you visit? I do not think a standard tour would be in any way adequate. I also want to present a print of a painting I commissioned displaying the fly off from Eagle with Wasp and the convoy in the background to the local museum.

I am guessing that pilots with a WWII interest might know a lot more than I do about where detail records might be found? Were they kept local or removed to somewhere like the Imperial War Museum?

Fred
Amherst, NH

The main museum in Valletta has some aviation relics; you might try there.
Essentially there are only 2 airfields still identifiable as such: Luqa (the main airport) and Hal Far, which is built on although satellite photos show what looks like a dragstrip on the old main runway. Ta Qali has also been built on and houses the main football (soccer type) stadium.
There was another airfield at Safi, between Luqa and Hal Far but this was swallowed up when they extended the main runway of Luqa. Qrendi, west along the south coast from Hal Far is barely recognisable although a public road now runs along what was one of the runways.
During the war, the racecourse just north of Luqa was also used to 'disperse' aircraft although, unlike Safi and Hal Far it was not connected with Luqa by a taxiway.

Malta WWII research
 

Thank you. I hope to collect lot's of pointers to help out trip in following Dad's Spitfire footsteps be productive.

"Against All Odds - RAAF pilots in the Battle for Malta 1942" by Lex McAulay gives a very good insight into what went on. As the title says, deals with the RAAF in the main, but naturally RAF get a mention, "Screwball" for example.

Could you post your Fathers name and squadron? May be able to give readers here something to work with.

FTM127
May I recommend "Malta Spitfire Pilot - a personal account of 10 weeks of war April-June 1942" by Denis Barnham, a gentleman who still bore, in the late '60s, the legacy of his time in Malta.

This might be worth a contact:- Malta Aviation Museum-Ta' Qali-Malta


You would have time to visit. Less than an hours taxi ride from Valetta.

Operation Bowery Pilot Leroy J Morsheimer 5/9/1942, BR169
 

I am looking for the letters and numbers painted on both sides of the rondel. This flight was from HMS Eagle and was a complete flight from 611 Squadron. My theory is that these letters and numbers would have been recorded at Luca upon arrival. I do not know if these numbers were ever changed? It is possible the field logs stayed in Malta or more likely that they were eventually sent to England? The military always recorded everything. Any records on Eagle would have gone to the bottom with her. Still, copies might have been unloaded? Multipart carbon forms tracked much, but daily log books might be the best source if we could find where they might be now?

Museum visit
 

Yes that sounds like a good suggestion. Thank You.

Fred.............


Suggest you put your query on this forum: Historic Aviation


There are two or there Spitfire aficionados on that site who may be able to help you.

OPERATION BOWERY, PLANE CODE FOR BR169, 9 May, 1942
 

That is an excellent idea. I shall try that at once.

Thank you,

Fred

There was no requirement for units to record the third letter (on the other side of the roundel from the 2-letter squadron code) allocated to an aircraft - they are very difficult to pair up with aircraft serial numbers.

Squadrons and stations kept Operations Record Books, which are held in the National Archives Royal Air Force operations record books 1939-1945 - The National Archives. ORBs for squadrons can be downloaded for a fee. The information recorded depends very much on the person compiling the record (if he was overworked or disinterested you may get very scant information) and the type of unit (bomber operations were planned, so you usually get crew lists, aircraft serial number and letter etc. but fighter squadrons may simply say "Red Section scrambled").

611's ORB may give you a list of aircraft and pilots, but it is something of a lottery. Good luck!

Follow the paper trail
 

That is something to be tracked down. Excellent lead. Thank you. Fred

Malta Aviation Museum
 

I am in contact with the museum now. Thank you. Fred

Waiting period for posting
 

As soon as the waiting period is complete, I will post. Thank you. Fred

My father was Robert MacDermid, 616 Squadron, and he flew off he Eagle on 3Jun. He always said that the planes were assembled encounters, and that some had wooden props. The briefing officer said that "it was so easy that his wife could do it!" One pilot offered to give up his plane. They flew into Takali, that's all I know.

FTM127

Flight Global has a photo of what look like Hurricanes on the deck of a carrier supporting Malta here. Not sure whether it's relevant, but passed on FWIW:
https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...0-%202307.html

Many years ago, 'After the Battle' magazine did a dedicated Malta in WW2 issue which had many photographs of aircraft on the variuous airfields. Back issues are normally available; I think the parent company is Plaistow Publications.

L. Joseph Morsheimer also delivered a Spit to Malta on 3 June 1942 off Eagle
 

Our Dad's must have known each other. Dad was held over from Operation Bowery (611 Squadron) in Gib. Perhaps to fill in if there was a pilot shortage? On June 3, he flew BR 315 landing Halfar. That is neat!

GREAT NEWS: The painting I commissioned from Jim Laurier, "TO MALTA FOR FREEDOM",will be included in Jim's new book, FIGHTER, to be released on Amazon world wide 11/1/16. You can find out about the painting or the book by searching on To Malta For Freedom or Fighter and Jim Laurier. I do not benefit in ant way from the sales of either, but I am terribly proud of both because they tell a part of Dad's story.

DISAPPOINTING NEWS:

My contact with the Malta Museum went bust in a very strange way that I do not comprehend. After a promising introduction and exchange with the Director, I decided to offer the original 37x60 oil painting as a gift to the museum provided a display could be put together honoring the pilots and sailors who delivered the planes at Malta' s greatest hour of need. I would have traveled there from the US to present the painting. They never replied or answered additional emails. TO MALTA FOR FREEDOM is an original artwork of the fly off from Eagle and Wasp on May 9, 1942. Jim Laurier is one of the foremost artists in this genre. Completely confused by Malta Museum politics and issues. Very strange to me. This painting cost a bundle. Any thoughts?

The history of BR169 is as follows

2650 EA FF 7-3-42 8MU 15-3 82MU 25-3 Emp Hth 29-3 Tak 4-4 Malta 8-6 603S CA ops 17-5 FACE 18-8 SOC FH68.25

The Emp Hth would be the ship "Empire Heath". "Tak" would be Takali, Malta. Others may be able to help deciphering, as I'm not familiar. The squadron code for 603 was XT. 603 only existed on Malta for four months, for the remaining crews and aircraft were incorporated into 229, Code HB or X, which itself reformed as 603 in Jan 45.

The date for arrival in "Tak" is given as 4 April but then the date for Malta is 8 June - a long time between the two dates. "Tak" might be Takoradi - a port in Ghana and the start of a reinforcement route which saw hundreds of aircraft reassembled and flown to North Africa - and presumably on to Malta.

The other data indicates that it sustained Category A [slight] damage on operations on 17 May, then Category E [write-off] in a flying accident on 18 August. Total Flying Hours 68.25.