Operation Husky : Malta’s role and importance

Abstract

The Second World War was a very dynamic period full of battles, important leaders and empires. At a young age I was fascinated by the siege of Malta during the Second World War. Many good books have been written on this subject. Malta’s suffering and bravery are well documented. However very little has been written about the role of Malta during Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. Personally, this dissertation was a learning experience due to my discovery of new information such as the top-secret Combined Operation Pilotage Parties which were previously unbeknownst to me. The information gathered in this dissertation is an assimilation of various books which at times only mentioned Malta in a few pages. Archival documents from the National Archives at London were also paramount in connecting all the information. Many Maltese think that the war in Malta ended with the arrival of the Sta. Marija convoy (Operation Pedestal) in 1942. In actual fact, the war in the Mediterranean dragged on into 1943 with the tide slowly turning in favour of the Allied forces. This dissertation will challenge the idea that Malta’s role in the Second World War ended in 1942, showing that although Malta was saved from surrender in 1942, it still had a key role to carry out in Operation Husky. I would like to thank my tutor, Professor Fenech for his guidance throughout this dissertation. I would also like to thank my family for their continuous support and financial backing to visit the National Archives in London. I am very grateful to my brother for all his encouragement throughout the whole process. This dissertation would not have been possible without the help of Gianluca Giorgio Falzon, an expert military historian who also mentored me for a few months. He was always willing to answer any questions I had. It is thanks to Gianluca’s insight and knowledge that I was directed towards choosing this title for my thesis. Professor Timmy Gambin was also very helpful in discussing Operation Husky, finding the time to meet me despite his busy schedule. Thanks also goes to my friend Nicholas Dalli who was very enthusiastic about my work. Last but not least, I would also like to thank the Curator of the National War Museum Mr Charles Debono for providing some of the photographs used in this dissertation and for his help.