Malta Story

WIRELESS:
Mr Churchill, in his speech in

the House of Commons this afternoon, said,

''For now, nearly two years,

Malta has stood against the enemy.

What a thorn it has been in their side.

What a toll it has taken of their convoys.

For the last six weeks,

over 450 German first-line aircraft

and perhaps 200 Italian

have been venting their fury on Malta.''

Can't be far now.

No.

How long do we wait in Malta,

just a few minutes or till morning?

Depends what's happening when we get there.

I expect you'll refuel and go straight on.

Pity.

I want to get to Cairo as

quickly as possible,

but I would like to see

Malta in daylight.

I believe there are some very

interesting megalithic remains.

There are certainly some very interesting

remains on Malta, nowadays.

(Ackack gunfire)

- Megalithic and otherwise.

The runway looks clear.

If there's a doctor in the house,

will he please come to the stage door?

- OK. That's us.

- Home, James.

You chaps don't like being driven by

someone else, do you?

Not onto an airfield in

the middle of a raid.

- You been stationed here long?

- Since it started.

Anti-aircraft?

Security.

- Watch out. Big crater, 100 yards

on the left. - OK.

(Tyres squeal on runway)

Right. Right.

Crater dead ahead!

Well, we're down in one piece, anyway.

- Get 'em out. Quick.

- Right.

Right. Everyone out, please,

quick as you can.

(Distant explosions)

Come on.

(Bomb explodes)

- Is it always like this?

- Usually.

Colourful, isn't it?

(Hum of enemy aircraft)

I think I can manage without

seeing it in daylight.

They'll refuel when they

can and get you off.

(Bombs whistle)

Sorry.

Cancel my last remark.

That's our bomber squadron.

Hello, Red Gauntlet. This is Lucky.

Angels 2-0, Angels 2-0, report damage. Over.

Epsom 2-1 to Lucky. OK. Bandits destroyed.

Out.

Steady! You mustn't just

knock them down like that.

Most improbable. You must search

and find them and then knock them off.

Sorry, old boy.

This phantom squadron of yours

seems to be doing a great execution, Ramsey.

Thank you, sir.

Two Jerries just knocked each other down.

What'd happen to them

if we were really up there, I can't think.

Frank, get rid of this lot, I've got

two submarines outside

the harbour waiting to come in.

- Willy...

Put some proper trousers

on or you'll catch cold.

You'll catch something worse than that

if we don't get those subs in.

It's your ruddy petrol they've got.

- You shall have a drop for

your lighter, Willy.

Hello, Eden. Are you all right?

Yes, sir. Just.

They got the Hudson on the ground.

Yes, I know, dammit. Anyone hurt?

No, we were all out in time,

but we now have a lodger.

- A lodger?

- A photographic reconnaissance pilot. Ross.

He was going through to Cairo on the Hudson,

so he's stranded.

Shall I keep him with me

or will your people look after him?

A PR pilot, eh?

I wonder if he's any good.

I don't know.

Rather an odd fish. We talked on the plane.

He got into the PR racket because he'd done

some aerial photography on his job.

He's an archaeologist.

Oh, crikey! That sounds menacing.

Is he...all right?

Yes.

He's not a born military type,

but...I'd back him.

Hm.

Well, come and tell me

how you got on in Whitehall.

(Children chant their times tables)

(Air-raid siren)

(Siren blares)

(Hum of approaching aircraft)

(Distant explosions)

(Bomb whistles)

(Planes roar overhead)

(Fire-engine bell)

(Distant ackack gunfire)

(All-clear siren)

(Children laugh and squeal)

Yes, sir?

Flight Lieutenant Ross.

I'm looking for Wing Commander Bartlett.

Very good, sir.

You'll find him in the Operations Room.

- Up the tunnel, the fourth door

on the right, sir. - Thank you.

- Morning, chum.

- Good morning.

Miss Rivers, there doesn't seem to be

a plot on picture two.

- Get one right away, will you?

- Yes, sir.

Get another radar report on number two

photographic reconnaissance, please.

It should be a matter of

ordinary routine by now.

- Where's the Sicily plane?

- Just crossing the coast.

See you tonight at eight.

- Mind you keep onto him.

- Yes, sir.

Wing Commander Bartlett?

- Who are you? - Flight Lieutenant

Ross, sir. In transit for Cairo.

Thank you, Miss Rivers.

Oh, yes. Cairo.

I'm afraid the old man

would like to have a word with you first.

Oh?

Well done, Hobley. That's four to the

Fleet Air Arm this month. There you are.

I don't know what Nelson would have said

about your flying under RAF command.

The only thing Nelson ever minded about

was scuppering the enemy.

Thank you, sir, but...with respect...

If the prize is half a bottle

for sinking a 5,000-ton ship

and a whole bottle for sinking a 10,000-ton

ship, then surely an 8,000-tonner...

And fully loaded, sir.

And amongst eight, all naval.

Oh, all right. I'll stretch a point.

I always had a soft spot for the Navy.

You'll be flying again tonight,

so see your boys go easy on that.

Aye aye, sir.

I don't quite understand

why he should want to see me.

Well, I'm in charge of the photographic unit

and you're a PR pilot.

You can't go on to Cairo

because your Hudson's had it. See?

- No.

- You will.

The old man's good

at making things crystal clear.

Hello, Frank. Save some of

that for me, will you?

You go and sink your own ships,

you candid cameraman.

(Knock at door)

- Come in.

- Flight Lieutenant Ross, sir.

- Ah, yes. Glad to see you, Ross.

Our manna from heaven.

- This is Admiral Banks.

- How do you do, sir?

I sent a signal to the Commander In Chief

Middle East about you,

saying that we'd...Iost a PR pilot and

would he mind if we hung onto you instead.

I've just got his reply.

He doesn't.

Well?

Thank you, sir.

Unorthodox, eh?

Well, this is a rather unorthodox place.

We have to make up our words and music

as we go along, eh, Bartlett?

Yes, sir.

Come and look at this and you'll understand.

The Germans and Italians, all along here.

In Sicily, he's only 58 miles

from our coast.

To the south, here,

Rommel.

Here he is now, doing everything he can

to get through to Egypt

and, after that, the Suez Canal.

You know what that means, don't you?

All the oil in the Middle East

and the route to India.

Right. But, if he's going to succeed,

he's got to be supplied with guns,

men, ammunition and fuel.

Along here...

..or here...

..or down this way.

You see why Malta's got to be held?

So that men like you

can go and find Rommel's supply ships

and men like Hobley can go and sink them.

Or, if we haven't the means,

pass the job on to Middle East Command.

You're what we call

''the eyes of the fleet''.

In this case, the eyes of Malta, and we're

as short of them as everything else.

- Do you see why I grabbed you?

- Yes, I do, sir.

Right. Bartlett's your CO.

He'll fill in the lurid details.

Off you go and get on with it.

- Oh, and Ross.

- Sir?

- Thanks for coming to help us.

- It was the least I could do, sir.

Straight from Gibraltar.

What, in your submarines?

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