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Bezig met laden... Faith, Hope and Charity: The Defence of Maltadoor Kenneth Poolman
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Faith, Hope and Charityis the story of three Gladiator biplanes flown by six volunteers from their base on Malta. Fighting alone against the Italian Regia Aeronautica between June and October 1940 they refused to bow under the onslaught of this fearsome enemy. Kept airworthy by the resourcefulness of the servicemen who toiled night and day to manufacture spare parts and keep the runway fit to fly on, the aircraft flew constantly in a desperate bid to save the island. This defence of Malta can justifiably be included among the epics of World War II and the part played by the three biplanes is symbolic of the courage and endurance displayed by the people of Malta who gave their lives during the struggle against vastly superior Axis Air Forces. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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For those not in the know, Faith, Hope and Charity were the names given to the four Gloster Gladiators (yes, three names, four aircraft, bear with me on this!) that were Malta's only air defence for three weeks in June 1940.
Because of its position in the Mediterranean, Malta was a key strategic point during the Second World War, and when Italy joined the war in June 1940, one of their tasks was to ensure that Malta, then part of the British Empire, was seized, thus ensuring clear passage for ships to get supplies to troops in North Africa. Malta was considered indefensible, and so no air defences had been put in place.
The Italians expected to seize Malta in a day. The didn't expect to meet any air defence; so they were on the back foot when they were greeted by three out-dated bi-planes.
These three were the now-legendary Faith, Hope and Charity. In an effort to prove that Malta could be defended, senior officials at Hal Far airfield got permission to take over 4 Sea Gladiators left by the Navy; at any one time, 3 of the 4 were kept serviceable, with the fourth as a spare for when one of the other three was rendered temporarily unserviceable.
Kept airborne by courage, skill and sheer hard work, these Gladiators showed that Malta could be defended, and as a result, eventually more aircraft were sent in, including Hurricanes, Swordfish, Blenheims, Wellingtons and Spitfires. Despite many raids by Italian fighters and bombers, and later the Luftwaffe, the island never gave up, and never fell into enemy hands.
This book tells the tale of the island during the siege of 1940-41, and the huge contribution made by the Gloster Gladiators and their pilots. It's packed full of anecdotes that remind you of the spirit showed by Britain during the war, as well as the sad losses suffered by our armed services. It had me smiling, laughing and teary-eyed. ( )