The night The Times almost missed the newstands

The Times of Malta never missed an issue throughout the years 1940-43 when the island was under siege from the air, despite the direct hit on the press in St Paul's Street, Valletta, the difficulties of the staff to report for work daily, the problems of distribution and the destruction of its newsprint store at Marsa on the night of April 28/29, 1941.

The full story of the loss of most of the newsprint is told in the current issue, part one of volume three, of Malta at War.

The illustrated chronicle of Malta under siege has so far recorded the vicissitudes of attackers, defenders and the civilians up to April 1941, with much more to come.

In April 1941 the Luftwaffe carried out massive night raids against the Royal Navy ships in harbour when parachute mines drifted on to business sections and residential quarters of Valletta, as well as Sliema, Marsa and inland towns and villages.

Malta at War recalls how the proprietor of The Times of Malta, Mabel Strickland, was awakened at 6 a.m. to be told that the warehouse had been hit and was on fire. She went to the spot and saw that a large number of newsprint rolls had been destroyed by fire and the sea water pumped to quench the flames. Others were partly burnt.

Undaunted, she printed the newspaper with scorched edges for several months until new stocks arrived in convoy. This episode is one of the many exciting stories of death and destruction in the current issue.

Photographs being published for the first time, after nearly 60 years, show the devastation in Valletta, with the elimination of the business section in Kingsway, St John's Street and St Lucia Street, various residential areas near the Lower Barrakka, the obliteration by a direct hit of the Greek Catholic church in Archbishop Street and the damage to St John's Co-Cathedral, the Auberge d'Auvergne, which housed the law courts and the church of Our Lady of Liesse.

The legend of Liesse is illustrated with reproductions of the embroidered designs on the vestments of Grand Master La Cassier, which are today on display in the cathedral museum.

The next issue is a special edition with a photograph spread over four pages showing the devastation in Kingsway as people, including troops, search among the rubble.

Yet more previously unpublished photographs show the destruction in various parts of the city and in Sliema with personal accounts by those who were on the spot.

Malta at War is published periodically by Bieb Bieb Ltd and printed by Progress Press.

Every 13 parts make up a volume which is bound with a special foreword, illustrated index and diagrams by Richard J. Caruana of the aircraft on both sides which operated over and from Malta.