Miracle workers
It may have had its share of uninvited visitors – but British tourists are definitely welcome on the George Cross island, reports Steve Smethurst
Malta has long been home to a religious population – it is the site of temples that predate Stonehenge by a thousand years and it was the location of an official miracle when St Paul was bitten by a viper and suffered no ill-effects in 60AD.
But faith in a divine being was never more apparent than at the height of World War II. It reached a peak at 4.42pm on 9 April 1942. We can be this precise as this was when a bomb pierced the dome of the Mosta church, the Rotunda of St Marija Assunta. The missile came through the roof and fell among the 300-strong congregation. It then rolled along the floor, without exploding. Incredibly, no-one was hurt and it became the ‘Miracle of Mosta’.
The fact that the Maltese people had any faith left by that point is remarkable in itself, since the island had been subject to a ferocious battering from German and Italian bombers for the best part of 18 months. During the first six months of 1942, there was only one 24-hour period without air raids. Luftwaffe records show that between
20 March and 28 April 1942, Malta was subjected to 11,819 sorties and 6,557 tonnes of bombs – an intensity that not even London’s long-suffering population could match.
Shortly after the Miracle of Mosta came another unlikely event – the award of a George Cross. In a letter to the island’s governor dated 13 April, King George VI wrote: “To honour her brave people, I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta, to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history.” The medal is now on display in the newly refurbished Malta at War exhibition in the island’s capital, Valletta.
Looking back, the twin events marked a turning point. Within a few weeks, the ‘Glorious 10th of May’ saw a convoy of 42 Spitfires arrive and the islanders, who had been on their knees, sheltering below ground and facing starvation, began to see light at the end of their underground tunnels. Fortunately, their darkest days – during April and May 1941, a total of 44 Hurricanes were shot down without reply – were nearly over. It was just as well, because the population was near to giving in. Food had been rationed to three boiled sweets, half a sardine and a spoonful of jam a day – hardly enough to survive on.
Today, WWII is simply the last in a long line of periods of turmoil. The island’s location, half way across the Mediterranean, between Sicily and North Africa, has made it attractive to invaders for millennia. Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Angevins, Aragonese, Castilians, the Order of St John, the French and the British have all coveted her deep harbours at one point or another.
Today, all visitors are welcome, but especially the British. There is a deep bond between the two nations and tourists from our shores will find much to interest them. For non-military buffs, there is the climate – even January can boast six hours of sunshine a day. Then there are fiestas, such as the one held in the village of Zabbar in September, which sees a band dedicated to St Michael (the Greens) try to outperform one dedicated to the Virgin Mary (the Blues). And don’t forget the wonderful food – especially fish, which can be bought at markets such as at Marsaxlokk.
For those with an interest in military history, however, the island is a treasure trove. At one end of the scale is the Sir Paul Boffa Cancer Hospital. This medical facility is home to a piece of bomb-damaged British Parliament building that was presented to the Maltese during WWII, and also to a stained glass window in its chapel dedicated to the memory of Royal Navy Lieutenants Andrew and Hugh Knowles.
At the other end is the steam-powered 100-ton gun at Fort Rinella (top right), which dates from the late 1800s. It had a range of up to 7,000 yards and could penetrate 12.8 inches of metal armour at full range, although it took up to four hours to raise sufficient steam to operate it.
The island is also a final resting place for many service people. There is a thriving Legion branch in Valletta which can offer visitors information of the cemeteries. Almost 2,000 service people from WWI and just over 1,500 from WWII are buried on the island. Another 2,297 airmen of WWII who were lost flying from Malta are commemorated on the Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial at Floriana.
Yet for all the islanders reliance on spiritual help, an exhibit at the National War Museum reminds us that more temporal things are also important. The front page of the Sunday Times of Malta from the 17 May 1942, sits proudly in a display case. Among the headlines are: ‘Island fighter squadron bags 100th victim’, ‘Dardanelles raid on Hitler’s convoys’, ‘Gas holders, dock gates, railways shot up’ and ‘Mass in London for Malta’. Yet still demanding space on the front page is one vital piece of information that could make or break people’s day: ‘Football results: see page 7’.
• Poppy Travel is visiting Malta in 2010. For details call 01622 716 729 or visit www.poppytravel.org.uk
