'Divine Intervention' medallion

[GTB]

A little food for thought.

A local detecting site that has yielded a mass of wartime relics has also relinquished several small identical religious medallions and fragments of same. It is to be expected that a devoutly religious nation would, in wartime, turn to a higher power for succour and pray for divine intervention.
The translated prayer reads thus:
"MARY MOTHER OF GRACE AND MOTHER OF MERCY DEFEND ME FROM THE ENEMY AND DURING DEATH RECEIVE ME".

Such a medallion would customarily be worn suspended from a chain around the neck. It is my contention that the greater part of the whole population would have worn this or similar throughout the blitz. The attached is a non-dug specimen.

GTB

[Sonofacqms]

GTB,

A very interesting item from a much forgotten part of WWII, the Landlord of one of my watering holes in the late sixties was stationed in Malta throughout the blitz and he told me of lots of interesting aspects of the conflict, although religious items were never mentioned.

Having visited Malta, I'm sure many put their faith in a higher power and were rewarded when a bomb fell on April 9, 1942, during an afternoon air-raid, on a congregation of more than 300 people at Mosta awaiting early evening mass and did not explode.

Rob

[GTB]

Originally Posted by Sonofacqms

GTB,


Having visited Malta, I'm sure many put their faith in a higher power and were rewarded when a bomb fell on April 9, 1942, during an afternoon air-raid, on a congregation of more than 300 people at Mosta awaiting early evening mass and did not explode.

Rob

Rob,
You hit the nail on the head.
Sceptics would beg to differ but put yourself in place of a member of the congregation attending Mass during the air raid. You hear a loud crash above and see a huge bomb coming through the roof, hit the ground and skid along the floor, without exploding. I wouldn't blame anyone for calling it a miracle!

Anybody curious about the incident can find a lot of info online by googling Mosta Dome Bomb

GTB

[Sonofacqms]

GTB,

I still have the Landlords uniform that his wife gave me after he'd died, the cap still has a Valetta tailors name inside and shows some wear.

He served in the Royal West Kent Regt in both first and second World Wars.

Rob

[GTB]

Originally Posted by Sonofacqms

GTB,

I still have the Landlords uniform that his wife gave me after he'd died, the cap still has a Valetta tailors name inside and shows some wear.

He served in the Royal West Kent Regt in both first and second World Wars.

Rob

Lucky you. Were the pockets empty? Amazing what scraps of ephemera crop up generations later.
Would the cap label be 'Griscti's', by any chance? He was the main Military tailor & embroiderer.
The RWK was one of the wartime garrison regiments, as you would no doubt be aware of. I believe I dug one or two items to this regiment

GTB

[GTB]

While on the subject of divine intervention in wartime, I would say that the most famous intervention connected with Malta would be that linked to Operation Pedestal, locally known as the Santa Maria Convoy.
Very briefly, Malta and its garrison were on their last legs, being short of ammunition, provisions and everything necessary to sustain a siege and there was mention of considering a possible surrender, although morale was still high. It was decided that a last-ditch attempt be made to supply Malta and lift the siege - hence Operation Pedestal.
There are ample publications describing the ordeal that the ships of the Convoy went through (I am blessed in that I had a first-hand description of what it was like from a special sailor - dad - who served on an escort destroyer); sufficient to say that what little that got through was enough for the Island to continue fighting back.

And the 'intervention'? The day the surviving ships arrived (August 15th) was an important religious feast day, that of the Assumption of Our Lady, or better known as Santa Maria. I heard tales that the very hungry populace would be attending mass or other religious services praying for a miracle, and gradually the atmosphere began to change, with a whisper here and there, and then distant sound of bells; there was mention of ships arriving and people from all over were making their way to the Grand Harbour, where the bastions were overcrowded with cheering people and servicemen, and bands playing.

To this day, the arrival of the Santa Maria Convoy, the convoy that is believed, with divine intervention, to have saved Malta, is still celebrated and on the Feast Day one of the villages opens and closes the fireworks celebrations with the sounding of an air-raid siren. Apart from this, this village band club commissioned a massive painting of Our Lady and the Convoy, taking up one whole wall of the main hall, and I am attaching a pic of same.

The painting is very allegorical, the central tableau consisting of the Assumption surrounded by angels and, below, the convoy battling its way. On the right, the tanker 'Ohio' being escorted into Grand Harbour, lashed between two destroyers. The monochrome figures depict Maltese lamenting over a recumbent figure.
GTB

[Sonofacqms]

GTB,

I can remember the Landlord's wife saying how thin he looked after returning from Malta, things must have been pretty grim for the population and the defending garrison regarding the food situation.

Rob

[GTB]

Originally Posted by GTB

Lucky you. Were the pockets empty? Amazing what scraps of ephemera crop up generations later.
Would the cap label be 'Griscti's', by any chance? He was the main Military tailor & embroiderer.
The RWK was one of the wartime garrison regiments, as you would no doubt be aware of. I believe I dug one or two items to this regiment

GTB

Incidentally, these scraps from a local wartime newspaper were found in a small envelope together with a few more cuttings and various IOUs and tickets. Perhaps the veteran who kept them all these years was a former RWK?

GTB

[johnG]

I recall reading of the three Gloster Gladiator Bi-planes which were the island's only aircraft before the arrival of the Hurricanes and Spitfires. Those three bi-planes took on impossible odds against modern Italian aircraft but bravely held the fort. They were named 'Faith, Hope, and Charity'. Two of them were completely destroyed, one survived. According to account I read the survivor was 'Faith', discovered after the war abandoned in a quarry. I like to think it was restored, I hope so anyway as 'Faith' was so symbolic.

When I read of Malta in WW2 it makes me proud to have been born on the island in 1932 when my father was on an accompanied posting with the Royal Marines.

[Sunray9]

Originally Posted by Sonofacqms

GTB,

A very interesting item from a much forgotten part of WWII, the Landlord of one of my watering holes in the late sixties was stationed in Malta throughout the blitz and he told me of lots of interesting aspects of the conflict, although religious items were never mentioned.

Having visited Malta, I'm sure many put their faith in a higher power and were rewarded when a bomb fell on April 9, 1942, during an afternoon air-raid, on a congregation of more than 300 people at Mosta awaiting early evening mass and did not explode.

Rob

Visited Malta a few years ago and found our way into Mosta Dome ... that bomb is still there on display, naturally de-activated !

[GTB]

Originally Posted by johnG

I recall reading of the three Gloster Gladiator Bi-planes which were the island's only aircraft before the arrival of the Hurricanes and Spitfires. Those three bi-planes took on impossible odds against modern Italian aircraft but bravely held the fort. They were named 'Faith, Hope, and Charity'. Two of them were completely destroyed, one survived. According to account I read the survivor was 'Faith', discovered after the war abandoned in a quarry. I like to think it was restored, I hope so anyway as 'Faith' was so symbolic.

Actually there were four crated Gladiator biplanes, however the fourth one was used to furnish spares for its brethren.
I recall 'Faith' being restored by RAF personnel at my station (Luqa) in the mid 70s and it remained in a wingless state for some time in front of the station orderly office. It was eventually handed over to the Malta National War Museum.
GTB

[johnG]

Many thanks for your post GTB, a very satisfactory conclusion to something I have wondered about for many years.
Best wishes,

John

[GTB]

Originally Posted by Sonofacqms

GTB,

I can remember the Landlord's wife saying how thin he looked after returning from Malta, things must have been pretty grim for the population and the defending garrison regarding the food situation.

Rob

Yes, pretty grim indeed; the rationing was very severe. The situation would be covered in any book of the Second Siege, as WW2 on the Malta Front was known.
A personal anecdote I heard from an elderly local person concerned the level of hunger that the people had to withstand and it was alleviated when a merchant ship, dubbed the "potato" ship, made port. From what I recall, this ship was sunk at its moorings before it could unload its cargo of potatoes and possibly also grain. Nevertheless, the sodden sacks of potatoes were somehow eventually salvaged from the sea and staved off the hunger pangs for a while. Naturally, they had a distinctive seawater taste. Whatever, my source repeatedly praised the "Potato Ship". I recall coming across this incident or something similar in one of the histories of wartime Malta, but I can't recall the ship's name. Need to do a bit of extra research.
GTB

[GTB]

Originally Posted by johnG

Many thanks for your post GTB, a very satisfactory conclusion to something I have wondered about for many years.
Best wishes,

John

Glad to assist.
Here are a couple of relevant pics.

GTB

[johnG]

Fantastic. Thanks GTB, I will keep that picture on file.

I wonder if you could please answer another thing for me. My father was on the staff of what was Corodino Detention Barracks in those days, and I was born within the walls of that establishment. Can you confirm please, is it the same place as is now called 'Malta Old Prison' .

Think of the kudos, when people are boasting of their high origins to be able to say "I was born in a Maltese prison". A real conversation stopper.

Regards,

John