Simon Bennett recently led an Anglo-Maltese dive off Tunisia on two ships that had formed part of the Santa Marija convoy.
It's been 66 years since the remaining ships of Operation Pedestal slowly limped into the Grand Harbour. I am sure that the memories of that historic day are permanently fixed in the hearts of the older generation of the Maltese people. August 15, 1942 was the turning point for Malta as Operation Pedestal would be the island's saviour during those sad days of WWII, saving the population from starvation and supplying essential ammunition, spare parts and fuel.
For me it has been a great pleasure and privilege to come to Malta and meet the people, absorb the culture and learn the history of the fortress island. To date I have visited this island 42 times over a period of 15 years, during which time I have made many new friends. An Anglo-Maltese team of scuba divers, all of which have a shared passion and interest in history, has been brought together over these years.
This year, to mark the 66th anniversary of Operation Pedestal, the Anglo-Maltese team headed out to Tunisia to dive on two ships which became casualties of this famous convoy, whose mission was to save the island.
The first ship we reached was MV Glenorchy, a "Glen Line" merchant ship, some 500 feet in length and lying in a maximum depth of 56 metres. Its holds were still full of the cargo that was intended for the people of Malta. Following the Glenorchy we headed to a silent warrior sleeping quietly in 84 metres of water, HMS Manchester.
HMS Manchester was a Southampton Class Cruiser 600 feet in length and 10,000 tons of pure war machine, used as an escort to the merchant ships of the Operation Pedestal convoy. The five-year-old cruiser's time came to a sad end on August 12, 1942. She was fatally wounded by Italian torpedo boats that were taking shelter behind the wreck of the destroyer HMS Havock. HMS Havock was beached off the Kelibian coast line and provided an excellent hiding spot for the torpedo boats as they were not being picked up on the ships' radars.
Due to the nature of the damage, HMS Manchester became a sitting target for the enemy. The captain deemed his ship as unrepairable in the time available. She could either fall into enemy hands, which would have been a tragedy for WWII and the British Navy, or the captain had to make the decision to scuttle his ship. The captain chose that latter of the two evils.
The men of HMS Manchester had to swim and row four miles towards the Tunisian shore, where they were met by the Vichy French and then interned to a POW camp. Some of the crew were lucky and were picked up by Allied ships within the convoy, going on to fight another day.
The loss of HMS Manchester put the Glenorchy at great risk and it was just a matter of time - losing her escort meant that she was now on her own. She managed to steam some eight miles from the Manchester's position before she too was hit by torpedoes. This time the torpedoes hit the engine room, killing six crew members outright.
Unfortunately, with no help she was dead in the water and nothing could be done.
Captain Lesley gave the order to abandon ship, but in the age-of-old tradition of the Merchant Navy, he decided to stay aboard and go down with the love of his life - his ship MV Glenorchy. He was the last Merchant Navy captain to go down with his ship during WWII.
The bridge of the Glenorchy, where Captain Lesley took his last breath for king and country, still stands upright and proud. The guns of HMS Manchester are no longer a threat to anyone, but pay homage to many corals and marine life which have taken up residence on her.
As my Maltese friends and I dived on these time capsules in Tunisian waters, we saw the great sacrifices that were made to save Malta. It is because of the strength of the Maltese people during hard times, how they stood proud in the face of the enemy, that it reminds us all of Santa Marija day and the people of Malta. But above all and most importantly, both ships are at peace, just like the people of this fortress island.