Robert Camilleri, Gudja
RAF pilots’ rest house
After enquiring about the RAF pilots’ wartime rest house in The Times earlier on in January, several readers contacted me and guided me towards the right location.
After a site visit to St Paul’s Road, 100 metres up from Palazzo Pescatore, in St Paul’s Bay I discovered this large abandoned house, numbered 458, with typical early 20th century architecture. Its garden, from what I could see from a dead-end road behind it, is like a jungle and its perimeter wall runs down all the way to the shore edge.
During its heydays it must have afforded many a weary pilot a well-deserved rest from their endeavours over our enemy-filled skies. It used to be run by sergeants White and Heron, according to one of the readers, whom I thank for helping me unravel this mystery.
I’m sure that this house deserves to be renovated, if not for its connection with our recent history then for its beautiful architectural value. Perhaps readers could shed some light on its owner. Is it maybe government-owned?
It would be a pity if it is left to degenerate into oblivion, worse still, turned into another horrendous block of soulless flats!
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Jennifer Grech
Feb 4th, 15:08
what are sqauters rights here in malta, in other european countrys if a property is abandoned and a sqauter moves in and remains on the property for ( 7yrs ) some countrys ( 12yrs ) other countrys and is not confronted by the buildings legal owner with a summons to quit the property then the sqauter can legaly claim the property as their own, there is so many abandoned and empty properties being left to delapidate on the island it may be a good thing to bring in sqauters rights, then maybe these properties would not be left to stand empty with the threat that the legal owner could lose it to a sqauter, also if a property is unregistered and seems abandoned then it can be registered into the finders name as the owner.
Carmel Grima
Feb 4th, 08:49
The last family to reside in this house was Charmers; Mr Charmers used to work with the Air Force. From hearsay sources this large house belong to the Apap Bolognia family. Today this house is in a miserable state of abondonship.
Geoffrey White
Feb 3rd, 13:24
In reply to William Staines - I am in London at the moment.
Our friend Ron Gilman died some while ago but he was only in his 60s. I could try getting in touch with the Daily Telegraph to follow up your suggestion. Perhaps you could elaborate on your idea a bit more. Of course, you might well be in the UK anyway in which case I expect you would prefer to take the initiative on this.
Geoff White
Geoffrey White
Feb 3rd, 12:45
When we lived in the village of Dittisham in South Devon in the UK one of our neighbours was Ron Gilman who flew Blenheim bombers when he was stationed in Malta during the war. He wrote a book about his experiences "The Shiphunters" a copy of which is in the main library at Floriana. Almost certainly he would have stayed at the pilots' rest house.
Perhaps the RAF would be interested in contributing to the restoration of the pilots' rest house should this become a possibility.
Geoff White
Laura Court
Pieta
PTA 1312
william staines
Feb 3rd, 11:52
Robert, now you have located the house why not take on the renovation as a week-end hobby and by the time you have finished you could retire there and give guided tours? Just a thought! Seriously though, I'm glad you have tracked it down, I'm sure it's been a bit like a Miss Marple investigation, it would be good to get some more info from an old pilot if there are any still around, they would be in their 80's, try a plea in the UK press? Did you see that DC3 at the airport?
Geoffrey White
Feb 3rd, 13:48
Hallo William
I'm in the UK at the moment. Perhaps I could get in touch with, say, The Telegraph. You may well be here too in which case you might prefer to contact the UK press yourself. Our friend Ron Gilman dies some years ago, early 90s I believe but he was only in his 60s.
Geoff White, Myrtle Cottage, Wellow, Bath, Somerset, BA2 8QS geoffreywhite@talktalk.net
Peter Jones
Feb 3rd, 11:16
Seeing this item triggered my memory,
7 days leave spent at the Teapot Inn
[other ranks leave hotel ]
Do any of your readers remember
Sgt Bains who was in charge in 1948 ?
I would love to hear from anyone who
stayed at the " Teapot "
My kind regards to The Times of Malta
Peter Jones
Francis Saliba M.D.
Feb 3rd, 10:32
If I remember correctly the house was numbered 109 (possibly 110) at the time it was used as a resthouse by the RAF during the last war and it was a frequent joke among the pilots that they could not get away from the Messerschmidts not even when off duty!
Mr Tony Gatt
Feb 3rd, 09:46
I find it amazing that there is so much abandoned property in Malta. Surely there must be a way of tracing original owners through land records etc?