The Convoy that saved a starving Island!

August 15 will always be a special day to the generation before me, my generation and those after me who interested themselves in the history of a small Island, right in the middle of the Mediterranean.

As a then British Colony, the Island of Malta played a crucial part in World War II when the war shifted to North Africa and also in the Sicily landings. Through much sacrifice and loss of naval lives, the British managed to supply the Island not only food for the starving inhabitants but also fuel, armaments and munitions which gave the British a haven and a vantage point in supplying their troops in N. Africa. At the same time, the Malta defenses attacked with fury the Axis attempts to reach their troops in N.Africa, mostly by sinking supply ships bound for German troops, and shooting down the accompanying planes.

Were it not for this effort by the British from their vantage point in the Island of Malta, the chances are that Rommel would have chased the Allies out of N. Africa, then taken Malta and would then proceed northwards through Sicily and Italy.

But by August 15, 1942 the Island was lacking food for the people and almost all the supplies necessary for the British to help their troops in N. Africa. But on this memorable day, from a convoy of a multitude of supply ships, their escort of battleships and planes that sailed from Southampton, only three limped into the Grand Harbor of Valletta, Malta. One of them, heavily torpedoed, also had to be supported by two of the escort ships so as to finally stagger into port with its precious cargo intact.

Thanks to these three ships and the brave men who lost their lives to help bring them to port, the Island was saved and the war took a positive turn in favor of the Allies.

August 15, is also the feast of Our Lady of the Assumption, a holiday venerated by Catholic Malta. So many prayers of thanks were offered that day to the Virgin for the arrival of those three gallant ships and for the brave men who faced innumerable attacks from sea and air to arrive to their destination and for the many, without whose bravery and death all this would not have happened!

August 15, will always be a day of Remembrance, of Gratitude to a great Nation and of Sorrow for the many lives lost to save us all.