Mellieħa, being an isolated village with no military objectives, suffered relatively few attacks during World War II. Bombs occasionally did fall in the area, but mostly in fields and on rocky garigue. So it proved to be a safe haven for many refugees who had abandoned their hometowns and found shelter in the small village. Some even chose to live in surrounding caves, preferring the damp and discomfort to enemy bombs. But all was to change on April 25, 1942, when the Germans decided to focus their attention on the Recruits Camp at Għadira.

Ninu Caruana, who nearly lost his life to pick up a piece of shrapnel. Photo: Family CaruanaNinu Caruana, who nearly lost his life to pick up a piece of shrapnel. Photo: Family Caruana

In March 1942, it was decided to set up a training camp for King’s Own Malta Regiment recruits at Għadira, Mellieħa Bay. Instructors to train the recruits were to come from other battalions on the island. The camp was to be under the command of Lieutenant Colonel H.D. Chaplin.

On March 29, all necessary items were transported to the camp, and by that same evening, soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment had set up tents on already-existing concrete platforms. These tents were to serve as accommodation for the green troops.

Two days later, instructors and staff arrived and a conference was held by Lt Col Chaplin. Since it was a beautiful afternoon, the meeting took place outside. All was going well until everyone’s attention was diverted by the drone of engines from the direction of iċ-Ċumnija, west of the camp. Two dark shadows, growing larger by the second, appeared in the sky.

As the soldiers stared at the as yet unidentified aircraft, bombs and bullets suddenly exploded and ricocheted everywhere. Tables were overturned, paperwork scattered and officers and instructors dived for cover, as two Bf 109 Messerschmitt fighters zoomed low over the camp and disappeared over Mellieħa Bay.

The memorial for Joseph Debono, killed during one of the attacks. Photo: Jeffrey SammutThe memorial for Joseph Debono, killed during one of the attacks. Photo: Jeffrey Sammut

There were no casualties and the only damage was to some tents, which ended up like colanders, full of holes, but it was not an auspicious start to the camp when one considers that the recruits had not even arrived yet.

The next day, after lunchtime, just an hour before the recruits were to arrive, the same thing happened. Two Bf 109s appeared over iċ-Ċumnija, with the afternoon sun behind them, making them harder to spot, and again strafed Għadira camp.

Lt Col Chaplin and his adjutant were sitting near a window inside one of the stone buildings and they only just managed to dive for cover before shells starting flying all over the place. One of the cannon shells actually pierced the stone wall and its tip protruded just an inch from the adjutant’s thigh. Again, the only damage was to the tents.

Lt Col Chaplin realised that the array of tents was attracting the enemies’ attention and he ordered them to be dismantled. Alternative accommodation for the recruits was to be found in the only permanent building in the camp, although this was already full to the brim with stores. These had to be removed, much to the annoyance of the Royal Engineers, who took two days to complete the task. There was still not enough space for the officers’ and the sergeants’ messes, so both had to be situated in wooden barracks.

Before all tents were dismantled, the camp was machine-gunned twice more. Training was suspended and recruits were ordered to take cover during air-raids so they would not be seen from the air. It seemed that these precautions were successful, although two Italian bombers dropped some oil bombs in the area. Finally, training could be resumed. Then came April 25.

At around 6.25am, 12 Junkers 88 bombers dived over the camp, dropped their load of heavy explosive bombs and showered the area with incendiaries. A septic tank near the camp cookhouse was left exposed while elsewhere a large red water tank was split open.

Two recruits, John Sammut (Private 51611) and Nazzareno Grech (Private 51573) were killed by the blasts. Another soldier, who had taken shelter under the water tank, was injured and died later in hospital.

Due to the risk of further attacks, each soldier was instructed where to take shelter. The bugler was ordered to keep watch and to give the alarm when he spotted approaching aircraft. Then he, too, could rush for cover.

At around 12.50pm, the bugle was heard by all at the camp. Everyone scurried for shelter as again, 12 Junkers 88 arrived overhead and unloaded their bombload. Everything disappeared beneath flying debris, soil and sand. The bugler, after performing his duty as ordered, ran for cover – a six-foot square hole beneath a concrete slab. He never reached it.

A Junkers Ju 88 D-4, like those stationed in Sicily in April 1942. Photo: https://www.asisbiz.comA Junkers Ju 88 D-4, like those stationed in Sicily in April 1942. Photo: https://www.asisbiz.com

The array of tents was attracting the enemies’ attention

When the smoke cleared, he was seen lying in the open, wounded in the back. He was taken to hospital where, after eight weeks, he recovered. The bugler was the only casualty. However, the camp had fared badly. The Quartermaster’s store was destroyed and clothing and equipment were scattered about. Wooden huts had been flattened and the cookhouse and other buildings were badly damaged.

The camp was now uninhabitable and whatever could be salvaged was gathered and transported to safety by lorries of 1 K.O.M.R. based at Mellieħa. All recruits were temporarily accommodated in nearby beach posts, depth posts, bungalows and caves. By 5.30pm, the area had been evacuated and not a moment too soon.

At 6pm, 13 Junkers 88 bombarded the now empty camp, wreaking more devastation. The recruits were eventually sent to Gozo where they could continue their training in relative peace.

Ninu Gauci, who fired at an enemy aircraft with his shotgun. Photo: Family GauciNinu Gauci, who fired at an enemy aircraft with his shotgun. Photo: Family Gauci

However, the Germans wanted to make sure the camp was totally destroyed. On April 27, a reconnaissance aircraft flew over the area, and the day after, eight Junkers 88 dropped more bombs. On April 30, five Italian Cants Z1007s also bombed in the vicinity.

There were many lucky escapes during these attacks. Ten-year-old Salvu Mifsud was grazing his sheep at iċ-Ċumnija when he spotted two aircraft approaching him at great speed. To his surprise, they opened fire. Stone splinters flew all around as he dived for cover. Neither he nor his sheep were hit and the two aircraft continued on their way to strafe the camp.

During one attack, Ninu Caruana, aged nine, and his brother Nenu, 15, took cover in a shelter in the vicinity of their father’s fields at il-Ħofra, l-Għadira. Suddenly, a large bomb splinter fell sizzling just a few metres away, and was spotted by Ninu. The boy decided that this would make a perfect addition to the large collection of military items he had already hoarded, so he rushed out of the shelter to get it. He was spotted by one of the aircraft which fired at him. His brother Nenu ran out of cover and dragged him back to safety.

Ninu Gauci was hunting turtle doves with a friend at Irdum il-Qammieħ. When they realised there was an air-raid, they took cover in a cave below the cliffs. Suddenly, they observed approaching low-flying enemy aircraft and they decided to fire at one of them. As one aircraft flew close to the cave, they fired four shots at it with their double-barrelled shotguns. The plane immediately changed direction, and for a brief moment, they thought they had hit it. Little did they know that an aircraft could not be damaged by such puny lead pellets.

The enemy machine continued its turn and then opened fire on them. Bullets peppered the cliff and cave. Both hunters were only saved because of a small hollow in the side of the cave, where they huddled as the aircraft machine-gunned them time and again.

Besides the three recruits who lost their lives in the attack of the camp, there were two other fatalities in the vicinity. Warrant Officer Douglas Corfe was scrambled in his Hawker Hurricane together with around a dozen more fighters to intercept the 12.30pm raid but was shot up by a Bf 109, probably piloted by Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke. He crash-landed close to the camp, losing his life.

Douglas Corfe (standing, second from left) who was shot down in his Hawker Hurricane close to the camp on April 25, 1942. Photo: Mark Bamberger via Anthony RogersDouglas Corfe (standing, second from left) who was shot down in his Hawker Hurricane close to the camp on April 25, 1942. Photo: Mark Bamberger via Anthony Rogers

On April 30, 41-year-old Joseph Debono, while in his fields at Għadira, spotted bombers ap­proach­ing the camp. As he suffered from a limp, he most likely realised he would never make it to a rock shelter so he hobbled to the nearest cover – the thick wall of a water reservoir. A bomb fell close by and he was buried under the debris and killed. In the same attack 11-year-old Joseph Borg was also grievously wounded.

The memorial for Joseph Debono is still in one of the rubble walls in the vicinity of where the tragedy occurred. Strangely enough, the date inscribed on it is April 1, 1942. Possibly, the shrine was set up much later and the exact date of his death had been forgotten.

Many farmers also suffered damage to their property and land. Several farmhouses were badly damaged: roof stone slabs were broken, fissures caused to walls, water reservoirs were destroyed, and deep craters were made in the soil.

The attack on the recruits’ camp at Għadira was the worst suffered by the village of Mellieħa during World War II. However, the concrete pillboxes and beach posts that still dot the countryside and coastline, rusting barbed wire in the garigue and the memories of dwindling survivors still remain as testimony to a war that so affected a once quiet rural village.

Acknowledgements

The author has based the first part of this article on the eyewitness account of Lt Col H.D. Chaplin, When the K.O.M.R. Depot was bombed, published in The Sunday Times of Malta on April 22, 1951.

The author also wishes to thank the following, without whose assistance this article would not have been possible: Gilbert Fenech, Anthony Rogers, David Bartolo, Ernest Vella, Salvu Mifsud, the late Jimmy Muscat, the late Anthony Gauci, Fr Joe Caruana, Ruben Vella, the National Archives and the Kings’ Own Malta Regiment Association.

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