The above is the running title of a diary credited to the Simon Cusens collection which the author of this feature was allowed to study in presenting this write-up to stimulate further awareness of daily life during one of the harshest years of Second World War Malta, 1942.
As the title suggests, the calendar of events is from the author's personal perspective (the Agius family of Valletta) and carefully transcribed from manuscript form brings out in an open, candid and detailed manner the happenings of that fateful year.
Personal letters and wartime diaries, though seemingly mundane and unimportant compared to official war documents are an important source for reading emotion. They are valuable windows for looking at the past. The narrative of such diaries does not stick to any formal or conceptualised form and hence they are considered as sincere historical sources of information told by ordinary people about their everyday life as they lived it.
The diaries under study live up to the above expectations as one scrolls, delving deep into the author's impressions. It would be impossible to bring out all the detail due to reasons of space and time. The following sample of entries will surely bring out a taste of what it was like living in 1942 Malta (my notes in Italics).
The detail contained in these diaries attaches much importance to the weather and the amount of sleep. This is understandable as workers on duty needed all the sleep they could muster. The weather affected not only moods and temperament but also bombing sorties over the Maltese archipelago. The author of the diaries was fond of films and it is evident from the daily entries that they were by far the most popular form of entertainment. The author also had an eye for detail as he lists the films shown in Maltese cinemas and other important people and events that caught his attention.
During 1942, Malta earned the title of 'the most bombed place on earth'. A total of 6,700 tons of bombs were dropped reaching a total of 15,000 tons and air raids totalling 3,343 in 1942.
Thursday 1 January 1942 - New Year
Very cold. We worked all day. At around 11pm bombs fell on Stuart Street, Street, Gzira killing 27 people. We have ceaseless raids day and night. Churchill's son was there.
Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill MBE was a British journalist, writer and a Conservative Member of Parliament for Preston from 1940 to 1945. He was the only son of British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill.
Friday 2 January 1942
All normal. Ceaseless raids
Saturday 3 January 1942
All normal. Ceaseless raids. Saw a very nice film called "The Wizard of Oz".
(The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, it is the most commercially successful adaptation of L.Frank Baum's 1900 children's fantasy novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
Sunday 4 January 1942
On duty. Nothing happened. Went to see a film called "Under your Hat". Awful. Stayed inside. The talkies although they were firing like Billy-ho.
Monday 5 January 1942
Very gloomy weather. Low clouds. Planes dived through the clouds dropping their bombs on "tal Messia" killing a woman and two children. We had a full night's sleep.
Tuesday 6 January 1942
Epiphany. We worked. Rain, rain, rain. Low flying clouds hampered air activity. We slept nice and dandy. Our planes attacked an enemy aerodrome at Castel Vetrano in Sicily destroying a number of planes on the ground.
Wednesday 7 January 1942
Went to Valletta. Rough weather.
Thursday 8 January 1942
All normal. Rough weather. Air activity slowed down. Full night's sleep.
Friday 9 January 1942
All normal. Rough weather N.W. Force 6. Air activity slowed down. Full night's sleep. At about 10pm Francis Berry phoned (?) and told her that there is a job offered to her for teaching at St. Edward's College, Mdina.
(St Edward's was dangerously situated in Cottonera and hence in close proximity to Malta's main harbours. This necessitated a temporary relocation to the old seminary in Mdina for the duration of the Second World War. Francis Berry, the poet and dramatist was a teacher of English and English literature at St Edward's College during the war years (1943-1946).
Saturday 10 January 1942
Usual work. Went to the Gaiety saw the Ruffians in "Babes in the Wood". Very cold. N.W.
(Babes in the Wood is a traditional English children's tale, as well as a popular pantomime subject. It has also been the name of some other unrelated works).
Sunday 11 January 1942
Nothing special. Went to the Gaiety saw a film "Hollywood Cavalcade". Very good.
Monday 12 January 1942
We have all day raids. Bombs are dropped in wide localities. We stared an early night raid at 9pm and carried up to 5 in the morning.
Tuesday 13 January 1942
(blank)
Wednesday 14 January 1942
(blank)
Thursday 15 January 1942
We had about 18 air raids in the last 24 hours. A record. We had a full night's sleep between the 15/16th. A bomb fell on the rifle ranges at St. Andrew's killing (?) soldiers in training.
Friday 16 January 1942
Went to see a film called "Calling Dr. Kildere".
Saturday 18 January 1942
Was on duty. Rained all day. Went to see a film called "Racket Busters".
Sunday 18 January
Rained all day. Did nothing but sleep.
Monday 19th January 1942
Saw a convoy of three ships come in escorted by a cruiser and seven destroyers. They were attacked outside the harbour. It was a lovely sight to see the Navy in action. Rained all day.
Tuesday 20 January 1942
From the top of the Police Station saw a load of bombs drop on Gzira and Floriana.
Thursday 22 January 1942
On vacation leave. Went to Valletta to see Uncle (?) who is living in a shelter and is very sick. Went to the talkies to see a film called "Charlie Chan on Treasure Island".