The exiled, Colombos and my father

The drama of the Maltese internees and exiles during World War II has been more than adequately told and retold. It is all history. As I read Victor Ragonesi's recent contribution, a few ideas and recollections come out of my memory bank.

Judge Anthony Montanaro Gauci risked being put on the same ship and exiled to Uganda for deciding, at that very sensitive and dangerous period, against the British government. He later told my father that he was sure that all the 43 had strong - some very strong - pro-Italian and fascist sentiments. But, while as an imperialist he would have them drowned (!), as a judge he did his duty very fearlessly and challenged openly the illegal acts of the Imperial government. This same man, when appointed earlier Speaker of the House in the Constitutional Party's interests, was irresponsibly evicted by the Nationalist Camera degli Avocati from the lawyers' dressing room!

My father always had a wish to discover who actually, among his very Maltese friends, had lied about the "internees" to the Colonial government. He first got to know after the war that a Mr Petroccochino, who was Greek, and a Mr Cohen, who were responsible for Malta's dwindling food supplies and distribution, had actually intervened to strike off my father's name from the black list.

He assured Mr Cohen and the Colonial representatives planning the internment and exile that, since my mother was Greek, he knew my family very well and had had innumerable conversations with my father who was not a fascist in any way, but only admired Mussolini for kicking the Italians on their behind and making trains run on time!

As time passed and my father was deeply involved in both the integration and independence regulations in London, among many others he had established a very friendly relationship with a very top official at the Commonwealth and Colonial Office. Through this friendship he was given access to some classified information exclusively limited to the Maltese deportation drama. He discovered who the Maltese Judases were and who had falsely reported him "as a fascist". This is all I know. My father carried the names to his grave.

Regarding Dr Ragonesi's mention of how John Colombos, QC, erected a monument to Sir Ugo Mifsud at The Mall, this has a special story. Before the war, my father, a very close and intimate friend of Ugo Mifsud, was just as close and intimate with Dr Colombos who lived in London. Dr Colombos's friendship with my family had also a close Greek family connotation.

When Sir Ugo Mifsud was Prime Minister, Dr Colombos asked my father to propose to the PM that he be recommended to be Malta's first Honorary High Commissioner in London as this would greatly help him be invited to many functions of the British Empire, The Colonial Office and even Whitehall. And so it happened. This debt of gratitude Dr Colombos showed by erecting a monument to commemorate Sir Ugo Mifsud.

A last point, Dr Colombos's magnum opus about many aspects of the Law of the Sea referred to by Dr Ragonesi made him famous and president of the Grotius Society. He once encouraged me to join his legal office in London, so friendly was he with my family. He had no family of his own.

An autographed copy of this book was given by Dr Colombos in London to my father who gave it to me and I gave it to David Attard.

And here the story ends.