Malta's critical yet unsung role in WWII

Malta is an island nation, located 50 mi south of the Italian island of Sicily. Only the three largest islands – Malta, Gozo, and Comino are inhabited.  Malta is 9 miles wide and 17 miles long. In comparison, Torch Lake is 2 miles wide and 18 miles long.  The islands lie on the Malta plateau, and are the high points of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa.  The archipelago became isolated as sea levels rose after the last Ice Age. Malta has a strategic location between North Africa and Italy.  Additionally, Malta is located near the two East-West Mediterranean shipping routes. We often see numerous freighters motoring on the horizon beyond the harbor.

Malta located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

Malta is the smallest nation in the European Union with a population of 410,000. Malta is unique as it is a conglomeration of Arabic, Sicilian, British and Roman Catholic influences. The Maltese language, Malti, is the prime example of this taking bits from others (conquerors) to create a national identity. Malti, one of two official languages (English is the other, not Italian as might be expected) is taught in the free but compulsory (ages 5-16) state and church schools (church schools are subsidized by the government).
 Malti has an Arabic base but uses Latin symbols. This reminds me of the Irish Gaelic language.  But, in Ireland, Gaelic is spoken primarily in the Western Counties. The Maltese language is spoken in all the villages including on the island of Gozo (with an accent that I have yet to pick up on). The Maltese will quickly convert to English, when spoken to in that language. By maintaining their own unique language, it demonstrates to me a strong independent culture. 
This pride in national heritage is personified in one woman, Astrid Vella, a controversial (she is not soft spoken) and energetic woman who heads the preservationist group, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar. (I feel certain you will hear more about Astrid as she has an idea that Andrew should meet with the Prime Minister of Malta to give an economist's rationalized support for historic preservation.) We had the pleasure to meet her as she attended Andrew’s talk on Historical Housing in California and implications for Malta.  Now this is a bit of a joke as the California preservation discussed goes back 100 years.  That is a blink of the eye in the time span of Maltese history, as there are prehistoric sites on the islands that give evidence of human occupation 5000 BC (dates similar for bee hive structures in Ireland). The first written evidence in Malta occurred in 700 BC by the Phoenicians, master sailors based in present day Lebanon.  But, since arriving and looking out over the natural harbor, I was first drawn to the unsung stories about Malta in the early 1940s during World War II.

The natural harbor around the peninsula of Valletta.

One rainy day, Andrew and I took the bus around the harbor to Birgu, disembarking almost directly across the water from our flat. We toured the Malta at War Museum and had the place to ourselves.  The exhibits included films often with original footage from war reels showing bombed out Valletta and the Grand Harbour.  The highlight (lowlight?) was touring an extensive underground air raid tunnel complete with labor/delivery room—not much but a basin and pitcher in a private chamber. I find this to be an incredible unsung story of hardship.   I am waiting for the remake of the 1953 movie Malta Story,  a British film detailing the story about Malta during the Second World War including a love story between a British pilot and a Maltese girl. Let me give a few details on how the Maltese endured fierce bombardment, often underground from both Italian and German attacks.

Checking out a chamber in an air raid tunnel.

From June 11, 1940 until September 8, 1943, 3 years and 3 months, 3,340 air raids were made on Malta. At 7am, June 11, 1940 Mussolini began Italy’s war against Britain and France with 8 air raids on Valletta and it’s Grand Harbour on that first day.  The bombers were based in Sicily, just a 20 minute flight away.  The Italian Bombers would make a run in the morning, return to Sicily for lunch, then take off and bomb again before dinner. In 1942, Hilter’s German forces began bombing Malta.  In March and April of 1942 more bombs rained down on Malta than in a whole year at the height of London’s Blitz. There were 154 days of continuous day and night raids on the Grand Harbour. Fortunately, when bombed the limestone houses do not catch on fire but are left in rubble. 

Bombed out streets in Malta.

Malta basically acted as a fortressed aircraft carrier, allowing bombing attacks on enemy shipping lanes between Sicily and Northern Africa. Both, Churchill and Hitler realized Malta’s location was of strategic importance.  The Axis set up blockades that prevented food and supplies from reaching the islands. With diminishing supplies, the Maltese began to suffer from malnutrition, so the British Government set up Victory kitchens, a communal feeding program.  One of these kitchens was located a block away from our flat.
The country was close to starvation and surrender by midyear 1942.  American troops arrived in Malta in April 1942 with the aircraft carrier Wasp.  On board were 47 Spitfire planes to assist the British forces in Malta.   In May 1942, a convoy of 14 supply ships, including the oil tanker, Ohio, protected by 3 air craft carriers, 2 battleships, 7 cruisers and 24 destroyers headed towards Malta. Only 5 of the supply ships finally reached Malta on August 13, 1942.  The oil tanker, Ohio, limped in to the harbor 2 days later. With the supplies, air craft and submarines based in Malta were able to continue to disrupt enemy supply lines. Interference of supply lines played a crucial role in Ally victories and the demise of German presence in North Africa. By July 1943, Malta was the operational headquarters including air base for the Allied invasion of Sicily.
The population on Malta at the time was 275,000, by the end of the war, 1,486 Maltese civilians (not including the Maltese military) were killed and 3,720 injured from the raids and 50,000 were homeless as 35,000 homes were destroyed.  King George VI awarded the George Cross, Britain’s highest honor for civilian bravery to the entire population of Malta.  It is the George Cross not the Maltese Cross that embellishes the nation’s flag.  From our balcony, we would have had front row seats on the raids and Allies naval activity.  Below our flat,  400 feet underground is the war room that housed the British Operations Room. It is amazing to daily pass structures that in the films were decimated to rubble.  The Maltese were able to rebuild with funds from the British.  In downtown Valletta this was done to all but one building, The Opera House, which is two blocks up the hill from our flat.  The Opera House is an open (roofless) venue with the war damaged columns standing guard as a reminder of the devastation.  

Bombed out Opera House in Valletta, Malta.

 Our flat (to the right of the two dark brown balconies)as viewed from Birgu.

Maltese Ways

Our flat on Triq Battery

I  quickly learned that in Malta, where the sidewalk is called the pavement, cars park on the pavement so you walk in the street not the pavement.  If a car approaches, you move onto the pavement to allow it to pass. In the old city of Valletta, the roads are barely one lane wide.  Most cars are not much bigger than those Smart Cars sliding through San Diego.  The common brands of cars are Fiat, Toyota, a few BMWs and Audis over in Sliema (La Jolla area north of Valletta).  Parking spaces for your car are as in most downtown areas a scarcity issue. The cars are packed so tightly in the few flat areas around town, that some cars can not move. There are a few horse drawn carriages posed around the fortress roads. This just added to my confusion of landing in Disneyland not Valletta during those first action packed Carnival days. 

There are bakeries, green grocers and butchers nearby. We are starting to make more purchases from them. Otherwise, twice a week we take the bus to Marsa to shop in the giant PAVI store…just like the big VONS stores at home.  As there isn’t a bagel shop to be found, Andrew has gone to eating cornflakes and milk for breakfast.  Other American products we have seen include: McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King and KFC around the area.  Andrew has a colleague who brought us Malta oranges from his 60 year old tree that are tasty.  Malta strawberries are just coming in-big and sweet!! 

We were graciously invited out to  dinner by Andrew’s colleague, Marie and her Italian husband Stefano and their 5 year old tri-lingual daughter Lilli to their 400 year old farmhouse.  They spent two years remodeling the farmhouse into a 3 bedroom home with back terrace and garden.   They enclosed part of the terrace to form the kitchen and dining room. From the terrace, I am sure you can see the sea but as it was nighttime and raining we didn’t get that pleasure.

Their family room used to be the animal barn complete with rings on the wall to tie up your cow. In the guest room, Marie wanted to take out the tub in the adjoining bathroom. There was a small opening under the tub that once all the dirt fill was removed revealed a small chamber with 10 steps curving down to it that is now a bonus room-wine cellar workout area.

Our hosts made typical Maltese food. The appetizer was a hummus like broad bean puree. I have yet to learn what a broad bean looks like but hope to make this dish soon. Then, Stefano served widow’s soup made with white and green vegetables-no meats as a widow’s budget would not allow it.  Then a cheese pie with ricotta and spinach with a pastry top accompanied by potatoes and steamed ball like zucchini.  Dessert was both the carnival cake-a biscuit mountain covered in white meringue, chocolate dribbles with candies and the Lenten cake-almond and honey. 

Friday we entertained the other Fulbright scholar (waste management engineer from Iowa State) and his wife for dinner then went to the Malta Philharmonic Symphony at the Manoel Theater—one of the oldest theaters in Europe.  For $12 US we had the top row seats in the gallery.  Andrew’s head was 6 inches from the ornate ceiling but had a full view of all the musicians except the percussion section as the crystal chandelier blocked them from our sight. The boxes on the three levels below us were enchanting-small and intimate with just 3-4 upholstered chairs in each. The 50 plus members of the symphony played melodically until the last piece. The conductor had chosen one of his own pieces. I truly wonder if all the good notes/keys/chords/passages were used up centuries ago as I do not like the “dischords” that are incorporated into modern “classical” pieces  It was wonderful to walk home down the limestone stairs to our flat.  The following night, we ended up dining in the basement of the Theater with our flat neighbors from Mount Holyoke University and a retired couple who winter in Malta and summer in Provence.  It was just an absolutely festive evening with wine and conversation with content from many fields- art, art history, finance and even Richmond, VA.

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On the other shore of the Grand Harbour with our flat in the distance.

Where is Space Mountain?

     Reaching into my large windbreaker pocket, I pulled out my January 2013 ticket to Disneyland, which is precisely where I felt I had landed after traveling 24 hours. Although I did sleep on all three plane legs of my journey,  the weariness of the miles  could have caused  this feeling of  walking into the Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney would have loved Valletta, a walled ancient fortified city. The country capital was built in 1566 of limestone blocks that resemble honeycomb.  Through bridges (just like Cinderella’s castle) and tunnels are the only way to egress the city. The buildings are 4 to 5 stories high with ornate reliefs, iron works and wooden window balconies.

     With the Carnival celebrations, plenty of Mickey and Minnie Mice were propped up on their father’s shoulders.  The festivities were lively but family friendly.  Dance schools competed on the large temporary stage set up near St. George Square complete with 2 large screen televisions for the assembled crowd to view.  The floats appeared to be handmade paper mache painted in neon colors with varying  themes:  Lion King, Avatar, Pirates Ships (unclear if of the Caribbean or Mediterranean variety) Cinderella, a bizarre combination of Scotland (kilts and castles) and Holland (windmills), Egypt and Japan, that are pulled by tractors covered in wooden crates branded with sponsor labels. The music was loud; the bass reset your heart beat into the 4/4 rhythm. The dancers in their Disney-over-the-top costumes that were as wide as the people were tall (and quite a site to see as the costumed attempted to use the port-a-pottys on the side streets--in case you are wondering the door does not close and it takes two additional people to fold-up the costume sides to obtain relief-- accompanied the floats on a circular path through Valletta. The parades occurred twice a day for 4 days.

     Our flat is located on one of the outer roads, which is really a very wide stone staircase and was quiet despite all the speakers pumping music four blocks up.  The one bedroom flat is on the third floor but being European, it is really on the second floor.  The tall double doors that open onto the plank of a balcony remind me of our state room on the SS Explorer with its water views.  The Grand Harbour below shimmers with passing freighters, military vessels, sightseeing boats, cruise ships, triple mast schooners, and even row boats-- where the two fore men sit and row each with one paddle and the aft men stand and push their single paddles.   The points across the bay are called the Three Sisters; each has her fortress.  We have yet to explore that side of the harbor. We have walked around the Valletta fortress and around to the neighboring northern Sliema and St. Julian areas that are similar to La Jolla and Pacific Beach. As the weather remains cloudy, windy and rainy, we haven’t ventured into the water, yet. 

Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea

     After a 24 hour journey, with a uncrowded plane crossing the Atlantic Ocean, a standby ticket for the 3rd leg and missing one bag when I arrived in Valletta, I am gazing out the villa window at the surrounding honey-colored limestone fortifications that protect this convoluted natural harbor. I have slept for 14 hours curing any jet lag. I am ready to walk around the heart of Valletta as it takes on a Carnival scene and spot more young children in costumes ranging from penguins and alligators to Counts of Malta  (not Monte Cristo) and white wigged British Parliament figures.