The Island of Malta, only 80 miles South of Sicily, has occupied a strategic position for Britain in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea since 1814. It’s importance was renewed with the outbreak of World War II and Italy’s entry into it on the side of Germany. It seemed clear however that adequate measures for the defence of Malta had been taken, with the Islands three military airfields at Hal Far, Luqa and Ta’Qali all earmarked as bases for the four squadrons of Hurricanes promised for the defence. These measures had been set in place however by strategists who’s experience had been gained on the killing fields of France 22 years earlier. As another war of attrition seemed the most likely scenario, the most immediate step taken was the dispatch of HMS Terror, to augment Malta’s anti-aircraft defence. History now records that attrition was not the case, as the Nazi blitzkrieg carried all before it and then stood poised to deal a death blow to Britain. The promised Hurricanes where now needed for the defence at home. Britain had also fared badly in the campaign in Norway. In May 1940, Gloster Sea-Gladiator bi-plane fighters had been sent there onboard the carrier HMS Glorious, which had been ordered to weigh anchor from Malta’s seaplane base at Kalafrana, with such haste that a number of Gladiators were left crated on the dock side for later collection. These would lie idle when the carrier failed to return, having been sent to the bottom by the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau when British forces were forced to evacuate from the campaign in June. These apparently unrelated events were to have an effect even for the 122 square miles of almost treeless islands in the Mediterranean. The summer of that historic year was to see the spectacle of the last of the RAF’s bi-plane fighters flung into battle against Italian Savoia Marchetti S-79 Sparviero bombers and similar bi-plane fighters in the shape of Fiat C.R-32s. Despite it’s World War I, bi-plane configuration, the Gloster Gladiator was no relic from an earlier age. It had in fact entered service only 30 months previously, equipping no fewer than 24 RAF squadrons at home and overseas. However it had quickly been overtaken by the rapid march of technology and by 1940 the Gladiator’s top speed of 245mph was bettered by 70mph by the MkI Hurricane. Immediately war was declared Italy went to work bombing Malta, within hours of the declaration 2 raids left 35 civilians and 6 British soldiers dead. The decision was taken to un-crate 4 of the Sea Gladiators that had sat at Kalafrana since 1939. The aircraft, N5519, N5520, N5524 and N5531, were to form a Station Fighter Flight, with volunteer pilots, who though RAF trained had no combat experience. With the aircraft erected in short time the fitters were thunderstruck by an order to re crate them for shipment to Alexandria. By lunchtime the next day the aircraft were back in their crates, and the fitters received the news that, as a direct result of the intervention of Malta’s New Zealand born AOC, Air Commodore Maynard, authority had been granted to keep the Gladiators. They immediately set to work uncrating and reassembling....to be continued.