XIII Squadron Staff Ride to Malta

With the promise of a little winter sun in historic Malta, eight members of 13 Squadron set off for Heathrow during one of Britain's worst winters in recent memory with the faint hope that we might actually get out of the country. What followed that day was ten hours of typically British waiting countered by some traditional RAF grit and determination. The result - boarding one of the only flights to leave Heathrow that day bound for a European destination.

Our arrival into Malta airport, itself a former wartime airfield in the guise of RAF Luqa, was subdued a little by the darkness that had inevitably shrouded the island on our late arrival. The first impressions Malta gives you are one of ancient architecture mixed in with the modern day hustle and bustle of a typical Mediterranean country. Malta is, strictly speaking, an archipelago of seven islands, three of which are habited. The islands' strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea has seen numerous civilizations from the ancient Phoenicians and Romans to the English inhabit the country. Malta regained its independence from the British in 1964 and is now a fully-fledged member of the European Union.

Our first trip was to Malta's capital, Valletta, a city of grand buildings and beautiful cliff top views over the bustling Grand Harbour. First stop, the firing of the midday cannon in the Upper Barrakka Gardens. The cannon, dating as far back as the 18th century, is part of the main battery that served as both a military defence and a salute to visiting military and VIP ships. A short walk to the RAF memorial allowed us to pay homage to those who lost their lives whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying from bases in Southern Europe, North Africa and the Adriatic and Mediterranean islands, including Malta. The memorial is made from finest Italian travertine marble and is adorned by the swooping golden eagle. Next, a visit to the Malta Experience located at the legendary Fort St Elmo. Never has so much history been crammed into a short 45-minute presentation. The film presented in no less than 15 different languages covered 7000 years of Malta's history. Learning had indeed "taken place."

On our last full day in Malta we visited the Malta Aviation Museum, which in our minds was our compatriots from days gone who served to protect Malta from the ravages of the German and Italian air raids of the 1940's. The museum itself had many relics from the war from a near perfectly preserved Spitfire and Hurricane to piles of unidentifiable dust covered metal that would once have passed as airworthy aircraft. The amount of Second World War history that was contained in the museum was immense from the amount of munitions dropped to the incredible determination shown by the Maltese people in the face of such adversity. Indeed it was this determination that led the then monarch, King George VI to award the Maltese a collective George Cross "to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history." The "Siege of Malta" lasted from 1940 to 1942 when the axis German and Italian Air Forces conducted 3000 raids over the islands in a two year period. Some facts that put this incredible assault into perspective are, in a 24-hour period on 20-21st March 1942 295 tons of bombs fell on Ta'Qali airfield making it the most bombed allied airfield ever. Also, some 6,728 tons of bombs fell on Malta in April, 36 times the amount to fall on Coventry and 3,156 tons were dropped on the harbour at Valetta in April 1942. In March and April 1942 more bombs were dropped on Malta than fell on London during the entire Blitz.

With our heads awash with these inconceivable facts we made for the medieval town of Mdina. The Phoenicians used this fort as a strategic point from which to defend the islands due to its altitude and distance from the sea. The town is heavily fortified and the architecture reflects the Phoenician and later Norman occupancy of the city. Many of the fortifications are in very good condition considering they were built to withstand medieval siege tactics rather than the fire from the sky that rained down in the early 1940's.

Our final day in Malta was always going to be short as dictated by our early afternoon flight back to the UK, however, it was cut even shorter by the criminal element that decided to steal the wheel nuts from our trusty hire steed. Needless to say we only made it a few yards before we had just the three wheels on our wagon. A considerable delay later and our final day's plans were in tatters. A light lunch at a quaint fishing village finished the visit as we prepared for the flight home.