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I am making a veterans return to Malta on June 3, this year for a stay of a fortnight. I was based at Hal-Far and billeted in Birzebbuga where our mess was also situated, and two young Maltese girls served us our meals such as they were during the great siege, and I would like to meet them if they are still alive and there – I cannot now remember their names but have a photograph of them taken in the garden of the Mess a copy of which I enclose and I would be grateful if you would print it in your paper with my request, I will visit you when I arrive there to pay whatever is needed for this service.
The reason that I have wanted to return to the Island is that on 12 June, 1943 I took off from Hal-Far on an ASR search for a German pilot shot down SW of Malta, and due to an amazing chain of circumstances ended up at Lampedusa and as we had been airborne just over five hours, we were very low on fuel and that our instruments were not functioning properly, so we decided to land there and take our chances as POWs. Instead we received the surrender of the island and its garrison of 4,500 Italians. I am the only surviving member of the crew of the Swordfish that flew in.
L. G. Wright, F/Lt RAFVR (retd)
Bournemouth, UK
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