Family Memories War

Arrived in Malta

Arrived at Malta – First few weeks

Friday 17^th November 1944

Entered Grand Harbour, Valetta after dropping off the convoy. Pilot came on board at 7.30 am. Massive walls and buttresses. Everything a light yellow colour. No rivers or lakes very desert like. Glare from sunshine very bad. Off boat at 10.00 am. No trees but some shrubs. Curious gondolas for water travel and small horse taxis with bells. Air raid damage everywhere. Fruit on sale locally grown lemons, pomegranates, green bananas and oranges.  Steep streets up from the harbour driven through the rock in places. Many locals bare-footed. Pretty children black hair, dark eyes and complexion. Stone buildings with balconies. Cultivated plots between the stone walls. Goats in the scrub. No green grass, some tough yellowish growth resembling it. Pay office and barracks at St. George’s Bay. Signing forms and so on. Sent cable back. Went down to Sliema in evening to pictures. Supper and back for 11.30 pm. No blackout.

Saturday 18^th Nov 1944

A little pay office work. Maltese and English money, same value. Sliema and back. Garrison Hall to cinema. Spencer Tacy and Heddy Lamar in 2I take this woman”

Sunday 19^th Nov 1944

Tennis am, cleaning personal equipment in afternoon. Garrison pictures “Time to kill” with Ralph Byrd etc.

Monday 20 Nov 1944

Pay Office until 4.30 pm. Usual pay office work. Letters in evening.

Tuesday 21 Nov 1944

Usual pay work. Heavy soaking dew at night caused by the “Sirocco Wind”. A hot dry wind from the deserts of Africa crossed the sea and becomes laden with moisture condensing when it meets land. Maltese Army personnel, civilians and ourselves work together on the accounts of the Royal Maltese Artillery mostly. Only Victorian pennies are used on the island. Pictures in evening Mickey Rooney in “girl Crazy”. Arguments about length of stay. Willing to bet it would be Xmas 1945. Note: it turned out to be Jan 1946

Wed 22 Nov 1944

Work, Inoculation against typhus. Visited Toc H at Sliema. Back 8.15 pm. Table tennis, reading, writing. A Maltese corporal who described conditions in peace time which were much more strict. Shops all lit up, and harbour fronts gay with lights and music.

Thur 23 Nov 1944

Toc H Sliema, whist drive. A tall five storied house with palm trees in the court. Tea available first thing am. Turns to go to the canteen to fetch it also turns to put out lights at 11pm

Fri 24 Nov 1944

Work. Asked to set out a Xmas card for use on an air mail paper. Short notice but managed two.

Sat 25 Nov 1944

Received first air letter in reply to cable. Stencil of Xmas card pm. Valetta impressive with all its lights.

Sun 26 Nov 1944

St. George’s Bay pm. Clear blue water with fish, no sea gulls, Letters, reading etc.

Mon 27 Nov 1944

Work boring, very, very damp air. Roads soaked but no fog. Smells of all sorts due to damp.

Tues 28 Nov 1944

Kit checked. Propaganda film pm Island bells started 4.00 am finished at 7am for special mass. Saw a robin yesterday. A shop called “The Birmingham Stores” in Sliema. Donald Duck cartoon “Billposters”. First rain since arriving.

Wed 29 Nov 1944

Letters and Xmas cards sent.

30 Nov 1944

Toc H Music on records. Beethoven, Grieg etc.

Note Routine letters, pay work omitted from here. Items of interest only included.

Fri 1 Dec 1944

Sampled local wine “Ham, tut”. Very strong and rough.

Sat 2 Dec 1944

Visit to Valetta, massive rock forts, many creeks and inlets with Naval Vessels. HQ of navy signals deep down in underground offices near to the Castille manned by WRNS. Old man and young boy, guitar and violin played on the ferry boat. A large variety of wines and spirits in the shops. Anisette, cherry brandy, rum, whisky, Marsala, French brandy, Cyprus brandy and so on.