The GC flight to Malta

I wrote three letters to The Times, on July 21, 2001, October 8 and November 4, 2005, on how the George Cross came to Malta but they were never published, presumably because these were hand-written or else because I am a persona non grata to the editor. Alternatively, it could be because they did not want to bring out into the open a closely guarded secret, a serious administrative blunder, of the British authorities during the war. Something that was meant to be kept under the carpet.

The story concerns the fable that it was Lord Gort who brought the George Cross with him to Malta, when, in fact, it had been erroneously sent to RAF Hendon instead of to Southampton, from where he was due to depart for Malta in a Sunderland Flying Boat aircraft and that due to exigencies of the war of having to travel under the cover of darkness, the medal did not reach him in time and he had to leave Southampton without it, a serious breach of a royal command!

Efforts were therefore immediately made to reach him in Gibraltar by sending it by a courier, but the courier arrived in Gibraltar the day after Lord Gort had left for Malta, and he, the courier, had therefore to follow him from Gibraltar to Malta.

The fable seems to have taken on so strongly that even a noted historian like Brian Blouet asserted on page 209 of his book The Story Of Malta that Lord Gort brought the George Cross with him when he took over as governor.

The secret was however blown when the courier carrying the packet containing the George Cross, simply marked "secret" but otherwise without any ground security arrangements, along the way, in order to create any undue curiosity or suspicion, decided to reveal the whole story in his book Cross And Controversy, many years later. The courier was flying officer Victor Betty.

It is therefore no wonder that General Dobbie complained in his memoirs that Lord Gort refused to show him the medal, when after all, the award was made to the People of Malta for their heroism when under his governorship - Lord Gort did not have it with him!

Some anglophile correspondents do not accept that the British authorities committed any administrative blunder in this respect and insist that it was Lord Gort who brought the medal with him, and that the contents of Mr Betty's book are fictitious.

Flying officer Betty was eventually promoted to Squadron Leader and when he retired, he used to come to Malta twice a year, in May and in November. He was made a Knight of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller. Eventually, we became very close friends, and used to spend many hours chatting over a drink every time he came to Malta.

On one occasion he related to me his annoyance at having arrived in Gibraltar a day after Lord Grant had left for Malta, how he had to follow him in a Hudson aircraft named The Spirit Of Washington.

It was a long direct non-stop flight from Gibraltar to Malta and when he arrived over the island it was in the middle of a night air raid. And the pilot, flying officer Honeman, was warned not to land and stay away. As, however, he was very short of fuel after the long haul from Gibraltar he took the risk and attempted to land. As a raid was on there was no flare path to guide him, and ack ack was dangerously exploding close to the aircraft. It was very scary. In fact, Mr Betty began to think that that was the end of the George Cross - shot down over Malta!

Luckily, however, a landing was made safely and the package containing the George Cross was handed over at Luqa to a young subaltern from the governor's office. At first the officer did not want to sign a receipt for the package, but a firm "no signature" no George Cross! made him sign and the courier quite properly handed the receipt to the Luqa station adjutant, Flt/Lt Sugdon.

I was 18 at the time of the award of the George Cross and spent a most harrowing time during the siege and I had numerous close shaves from bombs falling close by.

Since the award was made to the people of Malta during the war it means that I was one of the awardees too. So like the rest of the people of Malta, I feel entitled to know the true and exact story of how that medal was brought over to Malta.

I am quite sure there must be someone still alive who can confirm or otherwise how the saga actually unfolded, and whether the contents of Mr Betty's book are true or fictitious.