Merlins over Malta
Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:18 am
Last weekend, a Spitfire and Hurricane returned to the skies over Malta. These 2 types are extremely significant, as they were the main defenders of Malta against the Luftwaffe and Italian AF whilst that island was under siege from 1940-43.
The 2 aircraft, from the Historic Aircraft Collection at Duxford, were ferried to Malta via Jersey, France and Italy in the week before the Malta International Airshow, where they appeared as the main highlight.
The Spitfire was repainted into a temporary scheme of an aircraft ferried to Malta aboard the USS Wasp for the event. The Hurricane already carries the scheme of a Malta-based aircraft.
There was also a party of veterans and their families, numbering over 600, returning to the island, many for the first time since the war. A memorial service on the Sunday, attended by many of the veterans, was disrupted by a torrential thunderstorm, but the skies cleared to allow flypasts by the Spitfire and Hurricane (with a poppy drop from the Spitfire on the second pass) and the RAF Red Arrows.
Here are some photos from this unique weekend.
The 2 aircraft, from the Historic Aircraft Collection at Duxford, were ferried to Malta via Jersey, France and Italy in the week before the Malta International Airshow, where they appeared as the main highlight.
The Spitfire was repainted into a temporary scheme of an aircraft ferried to Malta aboard the USS Wasp for the event. The Hurricane already carries the scheme of a Malta-based aircraft.
There was also a party of veterans and their families, numbering over 600, returning to the island, many for the first time since the war. A memorial service on the Sunday, attended by many of the veterans, was disrupted by a torrential thunderstorm, but the skies cleared to allow flypasts by the Spitfire and Hurricane (with a poppy drop from the Spitfire on the second pass) and the RAF Red Arrows.
Here are some photos from this unique weekend.
Last edited by Mike on Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:11 am, edited 3 times in total.
Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:19 am
And a few from the memorial service and poppy drop.
Lest we forget.
Lest we forget.
Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:24 am
A Messerschmitt also sneaked in on the proceedings!
Fri Sep 30, 2005 7:54 am
Wonderful images!
Thanks Mike!
Thanks Mike!
Fri Sep 30, 2005 8:10 am
Did you meet any interesting veterans with stories? The pictures are really neat.
Ryan
Ryan
Fri Sep 30, 2005 9:12 am
Mike,absolutely great pics,I think the Spit needs to stay in its unique colours for a season, makes for a refreshing change to green/brown camo,don't you think,cheers,Pete
Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:04 am
Lovely stuff Mike, see you at Old Warden on Sunday.
Rob
Rob
Fri Sep 30, 2005 11:45 am
Mike...teriffic pics. Must be nice to be financially independent and have the time and money to go to all these neat places. 
Mudge the envious
ps. Thanks to the powers that be at United Airlines, my pension just got cut almost in half. That means fewer air shows for the Mudges.
Mudge the envious
ps. Thanks to the powers that be at United Airlines, my pension just got cut almost in half. That means fewer air shows for the Mudges.
Fri Sep 30, 2005 12:53 pm
Was there any Photo flights done? (i.e. air to air)
That would be a cool to see those.
That would be a cool to see those.
Merlins Over Malta
Fri Sep 30, 2005 1:34 pm
Thanks Mike for the great photos! Like the Blue Spit also for a change.
Was the chalk script, "guns loaded" etc., part of the re-enactors
participation? It didn't appear visible in the flight photos. Do you have any
close-ups of the other script?
I thought this was a hoot when I saw it last night! The Bastards Return...
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showth ... 435&page=1
Was the chalk script, "guns loaded" etc., part of the re-enactors
participation? It didn't appear visible in the flight photos. Do you have any
close-ups of the other script?
I thought this was a hoot when I saw it last night! The Bastards Return...
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showth ... 435&page=1
Fri Sep 30, 2005 3:20 pm
The chalked wording on the Spitfire read 'Onwards to "Malta" ' on the fuel tank cover, and 'Fully fueled' on the other side of the nose, and on the Hurricane 'Guns loaded, fueled', in the style of contemporary photographs of similar aircraft ready to be launched from their carriers towards Malta.
A nice touch, adding to the authenticity of the occasion, as were the re-enactors brought over from the UK. I recognised a number of them from the rainy weekend at Duxford 2 weeks before.
A nice touch, adding to the authenticity of the occasion, as were the re-enactors brought over from the UK. I recognised a number of them from the rainy weekend at Duxford 2 weeks before.
Fri Sep 30, 2005 3:27 pm
When I was in the Navy, our Airwing would alway write notes on the Gun access panel of the Hornets to say it was loaded, what type of ammo, and how many rnds in chalk or grease pencil ( I can't remmeber which). It could be wipped down easy enough later and was just "easy" and safe.
On the Bf108...
Fri Sep 30, 2005 8:48 pm
...Note the black diamond with white outline on the tail - is it a unit marking or a disguised swastika?
PC Markings
Fri Sep 30, 2005 9:57 pm
In the link I provided, titled The Bastards Return, it is explained that the
swastika was blacked out in order to facilitate speedier paperwork in
countries or with officials, who may be sensitive to the swastika.
swastika was blacked out in order to facilitate speedier paperwork in
countries or with officials, who may be sensitive to the swastika.
Malta Vets
Sat Oct 01, 2005 12:20 am
Mike wrote:
A nice touch, adding to the authenticity of the occasion, as were the re-enactors brought over from the UK. I recognised a number of them from the rainy weekend at Duxford 2 weeks before.
Thanks for the info Mike. Amongst those grayhairs at the Memorial, I
wonder how many were support personell at Malta, who felt well
represented by the re-enactors. A nice touch, as well as a nice salute to
the veterans.
edit
In digging through your photo-link, I also enjoyed the F-16 with the
unusual bulls-eye dorsal paint-scheme (Dutch?), as well as the colorful
Phantom.
Thanks again.