The epic struggle of those who took part in Operation Pedestal to bring us much needed food, oil and diesel has given us the heart to fight on.
Only days ago, we thought we were ready for surrender and we wondered whether the dispatch of the convoy was the last throw of the dice for our battle weary islands.
Well, the gamble has paid off. We are not yet out of the woods, but thanks to the superhuman efforts of the convoy, the SS Ohio, her crew and primarily her Commander, Captain Dudley Mason and Captain Roger Hill of the Ledbury, we can live to fight another day.
Preliminary reports have established that over 400 men died in this convoy run, with the loss of four warships and nine merchant vessels. No one can say that this mission did not come at a cost, but it could be the turning point of this bloody war.
Malta is one of the most strategic positions in the Mediterranean; to the North we have Italy, and to the South we have North Africa, where British troops are battling the Nazis for control of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and beyond. Egypt cannot fall. If Egypt falls, then Rommel – “the desert fox” – can seize the Suez Canal and the oil fields which lie beyond.
The Italians’ hearts were never in attacking Malta, but once the Luftwaffe came on board, we realised just what a situation we were facing. The attacks seem to have abated and it seems to be that the attacks on the convoy were a last ditch gamble by the Axis forces as well. The winner takes all. Whoever controls Malta will almost certainly control the Mediterranean and the outcome of the war in Southern Europe. Military planners knew Malta would be forced to surrender if fuel, grain and ammunition did not get through before the end of August, and by the grace of God (or should we say Santa Marija) it arrived. It is indeed odd (or divine intervention) to see that “victory” came on the same feast day that pretty much sealed the fate of the Great Siege of Malta 1565. It has turned up again as a date for our history books.
We have heard that convoy after convoy has been picked off and destroyed by the Axis forces. Some months back, when our islands were awarded the George Cross, many thought it was a token gesture to salute a brave people who were about to fall. But it gave us heart. And seeing our resilience, the Allies thought it fit to keep trying to get those vital supplies in.
Perhaps this convoy will be known in the future as the “Santa Marija Convoy” – the day Malta was saved from capitulation. The war is not over, but we do believe that the tide can turn. We now have grain and fuel to heat our stoves. The Royal Air Force has fuel for their Spitfires and Hurricanes, while the gallant Royal Artillery has the ammunition it needs to repel any attacks that might linger on.
Perhaps we can look forward to an end to the war in a few years and perhaps can look towards the future with a sense of optimism. Europe will always be divided as it has been throughout history. It is inconceivable for us to picture images of a joint parliament, single currency and free trade agreements as they have in the United States of America. But perhaps at least we can look forward to an era where children can grow up and be educated rather than having to face their neighbours in deadly combat. Time will tell. Time will tell.