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!