FlyPast 03.2018

March 2018 FLYPAST 63

DEFENDING MALTA 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

one hole was shot anywhere in the
Glenn Martin!”

POSTED OUT
The last entry by Eliot is dated
June 5, 1941. His successor was Sgt
Horace ‘Stanley’ Burton, another
skilled raconteur. Burton took over
from Eliot after the latter had been
injured in a landing accident.
Writing about the event in the third
person, he recorded: “It has been
proved conclusively that the IFF
[Identification Friend or Foe] does
explode when a Hurricane is forced
into a hangar. Sgt Burton spent a

fortnight in Mtarfa [hospital] thinking
out the results of this expensive
experiment and the CO does not wish
for any repetition.”
Burton kept the diary up to date
until shortly before rotating back to
the UK in August, by which time
Plt Off Peter D Thompson had taken
over. He continued
to record events in a

typically witty and humorous fashion.

On September 11, 1941 he wrote:

“Sgt Branson, ex-185,

now in the MNFU

[Malta Night Fighter

Unit], did some low

flying along the

Sliema front for the

Above left

The original

squadron diarist,

Plt Off H W ‘Chubby’

Eliot.

Left

The fi rst diary entry

for 185 Squadron

was made by

‘Chubby’ Eliot,

shown with the

second volume of

the two diaries.

benefit of a girlfriend. Unfortunately,

the AOC [Air Officer Commanding]

was also an interested spectator and

decided that Branson could do some

more low flying – along the banks of

the River Nile.

“Apart from the injustice of the

punishment, it puts ideas into people’s

heads. If you want to get off the island

• low-fly along the Sliema front!”
  Evidently, Malta was not everybody’s
  idea of the perfect posting. The next
  day, Thomson noted: “Sad news – Pat
  Hancock, hearing that he would have
  to remain on the island for another
  six months decided to apply for
  posting to Middle East with a view
  to going into Training Command in
  Rhodesia.”

LUFTWAFFE RETURNS

During the summer of 1941,

Malta’s fighter pilots had only

Italian units to contend with, the

Luftwaffe having been redeployed

for the German invasion of Russia.

This lull allowed for offensive

sorties against

enemy bases.

“An irate Maryland crew arrived looking for the Hurricane who had

chased them half way to Crete! After a good deal of explaining and

apologies everything was settled, and a party ensued”