Life in Malta 1965-68
As a follow up to the Canberra PR9 contributions under No 39 Squadron History, I feel it might be helpful to add a bit about life in Malta as a young officer in the 1960s.
When I arrived, I was a bachelor, and lived comfortably in the officers' mess at 1Site, RAF Luqa; social events centred around squadron and station parties and dining-in nights, and off-base gatherings with other squadron members and their families living in, for instance, Sliema, St Julian's, St Paul's Bay, Attard and Birzebugia. Favourite haunts for dining out were the Barrel and Basket in Rabat, the Coxswain's Cabin, The Tunny Net and The Lantern, or for a swift drink the Pegasus Bar of the Phoenicia Hotel at Floriana, just outside Valletta, where BEA aircrews (and hosties) were fond of gathering too. Swimming in summer was popular at the sandy beaches of Golden Bay, Ghajn Tuffieha and Mellieha/Ghadira, or off the rocks in Sliema, at White Rocks or Gnejna. Pay was low, about 50 pounds a month to start with as a Pilot Officer, but cost of living was also not high (thanks in part to Duty Free!), and one could cash a Lloyds cheque for, say, £5 or £10 using one's 1250 ID Card at Barclays DC&O at Marsa., and charge bills for uniforms, etc to Gieves the Tailor in Old Bakery Street, Valletta.
Meanwhile I was able to buy a dark blue Triumph Spitfire with red seats from Captain Mitzi at Muscat's garage; the car was assembled in Malta from parts shipped out from Coventry, and one could see the car being built over about a week. After racing round the island against MGBs from 13 Squadron and MG Midgets of 39 Squadron, I was lucky enough to meet Francesca, a Maltese ground hostie at the Civil Airport.....
---to be continued.
Life in Malta 1965-68 continued.
After I met Francesca (21) from St Julian's in 1965, a ground hostess at Malta Aviation Services at Luqa Civil Airport, everything (of course!) changed for me (also 21) - I was now welcomed into a Maltese family - three sisters, brother, Mum and Dad, warm-hearted, humorous, kind, always ready to laugh, cheerful, determined, positive and happy.
Of course, there were also many young Maltese and Italian friends, the house was full of constant too-ing and froing on Sacred Heart Avenue, the Rediffusion 'radio' was at high volume, either on Stud A (BBC Overseas Service) or Stud B (Maltese), the dog barked, voices echoed round the stone and tile home as family shouted up and down from the top floor (dad's study and flat rooof for drying the washing) to the ground floor (sitting room, bedroom, bathroom) to the basement (kitchen, bedroom, garden/ yard) and all appeared chaos. Out of this came wonderful food, happy chat and banter and a warm family welcome.
We were married in 1966 aged 22 in Sliema, despite well-meant warnings that Maltese girls soon became bored in UK, and wanted to come home to Mamma. After the honeymoon in Rome and Naples , we came back to lovely Malta to face reality: under the age of 25 there was no marriage allowance and no accommodation provided, so we rented our own flat in St Luke's Road, Gwardamangia opposite Pearl's Stores for £25 a month, and got on with having fun.
It was a new experience for squadron members and maltese mess staff to have a maltese girl among them. But within a couple of months one of my colleagues, Fg Off Dave Darroch married Alice, also from the airport, and we all got on like a house on fire, with much laughter, late nights, dancing and zooming round in sports cars; thoroughly bad behaviour much to be frowned on, but we loved it, young, in the sun, newly married and with few cares. Many readers will recall a similar time in their young lives, I expect.
Sadly Francesca's Dad, Tony, a fine teacher of mathematics, died only a year after the wedding, aged 57, of a heart attack. Helping to carry his coffin on a hot July day into Addolorata Cemetry was a sombre and sobering experience. Fanny's Mum, Rachel,was then a widow, looking after us all with warmth, humour, and good cooking for the next 40 years.
My tour on 39 came to an end in 1968, and as we were still under 25 there was no flight home for my wife; so the movers kindly found her an 'indulgence' seat on an Argosy returning to UK (cost 30 bob), when we started our married life in UK on a course at Manby and then 58 Squadron at Wyton - where we finally were given a married quarter. Somehow we've stuck together for the last 44 years, in the service and out, reflecting a life pattern followed, I expect, by many of our colleagues.
But I always remember that first tour on 39 Squadron in Malta as a golden time, flying in the the Canberra PR9, detachments, sunshine, swimming, dancing, laughing, sports cars and young married life - happy times indeed.
Please forgive this nostalgic look back at the happy island that is Malta. Brian Crook May 2010
Photos Below: Francesca in 1966; Going away after the wedding; In Malta last year
What a lovely reminisce, I was very close to asking a Maltese girl to marry me, she was from Sliema. After we were going out for best part of six months I just got scared at the prospect of the responsibilities that marriage brings and we broke up. I was very sad at the time and always wondered what happened to 'Louise', I can't remember her real name now and can't remember her ever actually telling me what it was. I'm sure it would have all worked out but one thing was financial, I was still an SAC then and it was quite a daunting prospect to get married on an SAC's salary.
I often think how different life would have been if we took different decisions earlier in our lives.
As it is I've now been happily married for over 35 years, have 3 children who we are very proud of, but still think how different it might have been.
