Malta, the RAF and World War II
 

If any of you are able to spend a few days in Malta I would recommend a visit to the Malta Aviation Museum. I spent a week in Malta during October and the island has much to offer anyone interested in aviation and in World War II.

Located at what was RAF Ta' Qali (pronounced Takali), the Museum attracts many enthusiasts who help restore and maintain the exhibits. There are many fascinating exhibits in the Museum including a Swordfish, Hurricane Mk IIA, a Spitfire Mk IX, a Vampire T11 and a Meteor T7. There are other aircraft and parts of aircraft as well as engines, ejection seats, models, diaramas and hundreds of photographs including many covering the RAF in Malta until 1979. While not on the scale of many well-known aviation museums, this one located in a quiet corner of one of World War II's most heavily bombed airfields is well worth a few hours of anyone's time.

If you have more time, visit the National War Museum and the Lascaris War Rooms both of which are in Valetta. The latter was only opened in 2009, having been locked up in 1968 when the NATO HQ left for Naples. It was from here that the air defence of Malta was controlled and the invasion of Sicily planned.

If you want a poignant glimpse into the UK's history in this part of the world during the 19th and 20th Centuries then visit the well maintained and tranquil Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Capuccini in Kalkara; it is a treasure.

And why not indulge in a coffee, or something stronger, at the exclusive Xara Place Hotel in Mdina. This was the former Officers' Mess for RAF Ta' Qali and the views from its terrace down to the former airfield and over much of Malta are spectacular.

Next time you are in Malta, rent a car and go explore the RAF's history here. I am sure that you, like me, will not be disappointed. But also find time to pause at the Malta Memorial in Floriana which remembers by name the 2,300 Commonwealth airmen who were lost in the Meditteranean theatre and have no known grave. Long may we remember all of them, but especially at this time of year.

Can you recommend a hotel?

Malta hotels: Phoenicia, Floriana; Hilton, St.Julian's; Hotel Juliana, St Julian's. All good.

CG

What happened to the Gladiator (not sure which one) that was abandoned near Hal Far/ Kalafrana and still there in the '70s?

The Gladiator is in the National War Museum at Fort St Elmo, Valetta.

We stayed at the Phoenicia in Floriana, two minutes walk from the main entrance into Valetta so it was perfect to explore the city where there are many great restaurants. The Phoenicia oozes 1930s elegance and charm but is very modern and offers excellent service. The main bar is full of fascinating black and white photographs from the 1930s and 40s. The Phoenicia is well worth considering; I will not look eslewhere for a return visit.

Worth watching the film "Malta Story" with Alec Guinness

Watched it again a couple of weeks ago. Some rubbish air-to-air stuff, but it's worth watching just for the real footage of the "Ohio" coming in. What I still can't get my head round is how Malta wasn't taken. Its strategic importance was obvious, and the Axis had contol of Sicily. Catania to Malta is about 100nm as the crow flies, and the air defence was paltry compared with what the RAF was putting up during the Battle of Britain.

The huge losses of Fallschirmjager (German Parachute troops) in the battle for Crete, plus the fiasco of the attempted German seaborne landings during the same operation led to the usual Axis flawed "win by bombing" scenario. Remember that German resources were stretched in both North Africa and Russia at the time leading for insufficient assets to strike effectively at Malta.

Ohio etc.
 

19 year old ex-brat Haraka Senior saw the Ohio come in as well as the arrival of the Spitfires, which was not as shown in the film ( not unexpectedly ,they arrived in one's and two's) . There were invasion alerts running up and down the scale all the time, 24 hours being declared likely on several occasions. Sicily of course was closely watched as a leaping off point for an airborne assault , and with AAA at time being rationed to five rounds per day.
Then there were the little known Spitfire "invisible" bomb racks designed to convince the opposition that a bomber force existed on the island.....

A pair of my old Navy wings are in the museum. A good visit. Had a great time at Hal Far - those were the days.

There are many excellent books about Malta at war. Fortress Malta is one of the more recent and it is an enjoyable read. For an RAF fighter pilot's very honest perspective try Dennis Barnham's Malta Spitfire Pilot, originally published as One Man's Window.

The 1952 film, Malta Story, despite some inaccuracies, tells a good story and there are some strong performances from Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness and Muriel Pavlov. The love interest in the film between the Pavlov and Guinness characters is fictitious but it has many similarities to the true but ulimately tragic (for both) romance between Adrian Warburton, the RAF's most highly decorated recce pilot, and the vivacious English dancer Christina Ratcliffe who became Captain of D Watch and the Assistant Controller in the Lascaris Fighter Control Room at the height of the battle

Tony Spooner's excellent biography, Warburton's War, makes fascinating reading, while Christina's story is one of two retold by Frederick Galea in Women of Malta.

I was invited to take part in a staff ride/battlefield tour to Malta from Lyneham. It is an excellent venue to talk about proper joint operations as all three Services contributed to the island's defence in a truly coordinated fashion.
The experience of the locals need some investigation as well. They were living in the most perilous conditions and the strength of character showed was incredible. We went into some of the tunnels they dug by hand under Mosta. The entrance was in from the basement of a great little cafe. Mosta Dome is a beautiful church with a patch in the ceiling where, legend has it, a German bomb penetrated during a service, hit the floor, failed to detonate and skidded down the aisle and out into the street.
We stayed in the Intercontinental, St George's Bay. A MOD Central Hotel Booking Service error which lost the original booking for the entirely suitable 3-star meant they had to take whatever was available at short notice. My room was about 20 paces from the roof-top pool.:)
The hotel is round the corner from the bars and clubs of Placeville and a seemingly endless supply of Scandinavian English-language students :ok:

I spent many happy hours as an 11 year old sitting a few hundred feet from the main runway at Luqa back in the mid 50's watching all manner of aircraft come and go, great times.
Have spent the last five holidays on Malta and Gozo and stayed at some excellent hotels including this year's stay at the Corinthia Palace, Attard, which is in the centre of the island, very handy for Ta'Qali and a true 5 star experience. If you can take a five hour, time share presentation, the Radisson at Golden Bay, another 5 star, will only cost around £49 for a week's stay for two room only. Can normally be found at various prices on Ebay. We did two of these offers before they cottoned on and now the conditions have been changed. It's situated on one of the few half-decent sandy beaches and a hire car is recommended. If you want a chilled out holiday then rent a farmhouse on Gozo, highly recommended. If you want to impress the locals then forget your Q's so Ta'Qali becomes Ta'Ali.

I cannot believe that no one has mentioned how wonderful the Maltese people are; they make it a great place to visit.

As for hotels; there is only one in my books - The Hilton, not your normal run-of-the-mill Hilton, it is a great complex with superb restaurants, pools and rooms.