Five explanations as to who named Malta’s Gloster Gladiators Faith, Hope and Charity in 1940-1941

Abstract

One of the most remarkable stories of the Second World War concerns the role played by a small number of obsolete biplanes that took to the skies over Malta in June 1940 and engaged wave after wave of modern Italian fighters and bombers. Malta’s outdated Gloster Gladiators, flown by volunteer pilots with little or no fighter experience, came to be known as Faith, Hope and Charity. But who gave them these names and when were they widely known? Each of a number of commentators suggests one and only one possible explanation as to the origin of the names. The purpose of the present article is for the first time to assemble and discuss five explanations that have appeared in the literature as to how and when Malta’s legendary Gladiators were christened.