Diary of wartime rescuers

If ever there was any doubt about the mine of information included in war diaries, the latest book by Frederick R. Galea, Call-Out: A wartime diary of air/sea rescue operations at Malta, puts the case to rest.

Call-Out covers the period between June 10, 1940 and August 28, 1944 when the last air raid alert was sounded. In the period covered by the book, 273 pilots were picked up from the sea by the air and sea rescue unit based originally at Kalafrana. Another base was later set up at il-Vecca, in St Paul's Bay and another at Tignè, in Sliema.

Call Out refers to the times when RAF launches were called to fish out from the sea pilots who had to abandon their stricken planes.

Of the pilots rescued after escaping from burning planes, 206 were allied personnel of whom 10 were picked up dead, 41 were German, including two corpses, and 26 were Italian, including five dead.

The rescue operations were carried out by high speed launches which at times went close to the Sicilian coast to pick up survivors, chancing the onslaught of enemy attack.

Three of the launches - 107, 128 and 129 - came under enemy attack with the most vicious onslaught hitting HSL 129, leaving several crew members mortally wounded.

One vivid episode was recorded by a German air officer by the name of Hinterberg.

"By the time we reached Malta it was almost dark and we received a radio message that British night-fighters were ordered to attack us.

"We were on top alert but, all of a sudden, it did happen. A detonation and the right engine was on fire: the propeller of the right engine could not be controlled and we went into a curve on one engine to try to skid once we touched the water.

"Fortunately, the action taken was successful and we got out into the rubber dinghy, which was automatically inflated alongside the body of the plane...

"Four long days, battered by storms and high waves. Once we fell overboard but luckily managed to climb into the dinghy again. On the 23rd (October) we saw land. It was Malta. But still it was not until midday that some warships came out of the harbour and probably discovered us as very shortly an English rescue boat reached us and pulled us up from the water.

"Nueffer, who was the commandant and chief pilot of the aircraft, was badly wounded. His backbone was fractured and what was not discovered and treated medically was a fracture to his skull".

Crews at il-Vecca were billetted in Sunderland House, built right on the waterfront at tal-Ghazzelin, in St Paul's Bay.

Mr Galea has been researching and collating data about World War II for the past 27 years and with other enthusiasts was involved in setting up the War Museum in Valletta, and the Aviation Museum, at Ta' Qali.

The diary put together by the author is composed of entries from various diaries, bringing to life the extreme danger that the pilots defending these islands went through.

The ferrying of humans and provisions between Malta and Gozo often came into the line of enemy fire as the following entry shows:

"Following a report that Messerschmitts were seen attacking the Gozo bound motor-schooner Marie Georgette, four Hurricanes were scrambled to investigate.

"These engaged the Messerschmitts with the result that two Hurricanes were quickly shot down into the sea. Both pilots, Flt Lt Sid Brandt and Sgt Roy Lawson, were not found despite a three-hour search by a Swordfish from No 830 Squadron.

"Meanwhile, the schooner, which by this time was on fire, was beached on the coast of St George's Bay and completely burnt out. Sadly, the captain was killed by enemy machine gun fire. Of the other 21 persons on board, two were missing and nine wounded".

In a foreword to Call Out: A wartime diary of air/sea rescue operations at Malta, Tony Spooner, officer in charge of Malta's Special Duties Flight in 1941-42, wrote:

"On a wild and stormy night in the middle of winter 1941-42, my Wellington crew and I were in dire distress. We had engine trouble... The one grain of comfort in my anxious mind was that if we had to 'ditch' before reaching Malta, as we had been operating out of sight of land for almost 13 hours in a vain search for the Italian battlefleet, then the island's air sea and rescue crews would do their damnedest to locate and pick us up".