advantage of the weather which was Wimpeys

5 recently returned to the Mediterranean in force, and bomber aircraft of the battle-hardened II Fliegerkorps, ominously re-deploying from the frozen Eastern Front to Sicily in early December 1941. They commenced operations against Malta with a a Ju88 on 3 December, and their all-out air assault commenced on 21 December. The during this new phase against Malta occurred on 22 December, when a Ju 88 was lost over the island. (Air Historical Branch RAF Narrative [First Draft]: The Middle East Campaigns Vol XI Malta June 1940 – May 1945) rapidly increased in ferocity over the months from January to May 1942, aiming to neutralise Malta’s capabilities completely in anticipation of invasion in the early summer of 1942, on Operation Hercules. For more detail, see Fighters over Malta – Gladiators and Hurricanes 19401942 by Brian Cull and Frederick Galea, Fonthill: Stroud, 2018, hereafter referred to as Fighters over Malta.

‘Taken Jan 3rd 1942. Stan Jagger and I.’ [Ed: Stan is to the right] (Ben Jinks bequest, BJ07/42)

The Calm Before The Storm

5th

4th 21.00 drome

6th

7th

8th

6 See Marylands over Malta by Brian Cull and Frederick Galea, Malta: Wise Owl Publications, for more detail of Glenns, known as Marylands by the RAF. A Glen 6

Poorhouse

The Christmas Fare 1941 Menu, time before such fare could be repeated of on recco. At 15.30hrs siren went. A few

‘Some of the lads of 69 Sqdn. Taken in January when things were fairly 7 ,BJb.NWM.HMC the civilian Maltese who are left in the but the lads take no notice. I went down raid. After a few minutes I decided I would don’t come and see for and served. Much food is wasted because of this.

7 Some of these lads would be killed a couple of days later, during the morning raid of 10 January 1942.

10th bad. Several lads of 69 were killed in this morning’s raids.8 I am not

11th after-noon. 15.00 with two slight raids. Marsa guns just about shook us out of bed.

09.10hrs Siren has just 09.15 A.A G.H direction.

Ta’ Kali. At night 21.30 we watched one bombs. At 14.15hrs siren went. 15.30

13th rest.

Me

Several D.A drome last night. Several times I awoke to

8 No.69 Squadron RAF was formed in Malta on 10 January 1941 from No. 431 (General Reconnaissance) Flight. It carried out strategic photo-reconnaissance (PR) missions mainly using Martin Marylands (produced by the Glenn Martin Company in the USA, hence their also being known as ‘Glens’). These began to be replaced by PR

1942 onwards, the Harry Coldbeck on 8 March, see The Maltese by Harry Coldbeck, Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 1997, and Malta – The Epic Air Battles of 1942 by Brian Cull with Frederick Galea, London: Grub Street, 2005. From summer 1942 onwards 69 Squadron was also equipped with Baltimores and special duties Wellingtons. The Squadron was relocated to the UK in April 1944. See Marylands over Malta came over at 10.15 could do with a good meal.

9 The main targets were the three surviving merchantmen of Convoy MW8 - Ajax , Clan Ferguson and City of Calcutta - which arrived in the Grand Harbour on 19 January, bringing in 30,000 tons of supplies.

Wg

John Noel Dowland GC, IMW, UK

Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Welcome panel at Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, featuring Wg Cdr John Dowland GC, photo 9 January 2023 ©David Vassallo

CWGC Headstone on grave of Wg Cdr Dowland GC, together

Mackie whose story is poignantly recounted in the prologue ‘A Brief Engagement over Malta’ of James Holland’s Fortress Malta, photo ©David Vassallo