Posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 29/06/2023. During the summer of 1996 scuba-diver David Schembri, while underwater, came across an aircraft engine laying on the sea-bed fairly close to the island of Filfla, and at a distance from Dingli cliffs. He informed our Foundation about the find, and within a short while, wheels Read More
Post by Mr Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 1 June 2022 The other day we showed you the reconstruction of the main-planes. This time we shall see what other components were required for the project to move on towards completion. NOTE: Today, in place is Maltese legislation protecting underwater cultural heritage.
Posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 26/05/2023. The other day we showed you the recovered Spitfire main-spar c/w undercarriage legs. These are necessary basic items required to commence reconstruction work on main-planes – most aircraft structures (possibly all) are built around their main-spars. In the accompanying photographs we shall show a quick progression Read More
Posted by Mr Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 19/05/2023 In 1947, the Air Scouts of Malta were presented with a complete Mk IX Spitfire, EN199. Sadly over the years it fell into disuse and also victim of souvenir hunters, vandals, etc. By 1976, little was left of the aircraft, and that was recovered by Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on 12/05/2023 On 16 February 1932, Dornier Do J Wal Jupiter VIII – 112 R Cabina Piaggio force-landed owing to engine trouble at a point 30 miles SW of Delimara at 08:50 hours local time. A 202 Squadron floatplane was dispatched to locate the aircraft with assistance of DF Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 05/05/2023 A long while ago, a fisherman, dropped by aviation our museum and handed over to us a barnacle encrusted aircraft part which had become entangled in one of his nets. He was aware that many years earlier an aircraft has come down in the sea off Read More
Post by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 28/04/2020 Times of Malta -Tuesday, March 29, 1949 Naval Air Crash at Delimara – Rescue Plane Driven Ashore Our Services Reporter Lieutenant (1) M.D. Stanley, R.N., the pilot of a Mosquito aircraft which crashed into the sea off Delimara Point on Saturday morning, has still not been Read More
Article & photos reproduced from post by Frederick Galea on Facebook posted on the 21/04/2023 The history of the Spitfire wreck located off the coast of Gozo is linked to Operation Husky – the Allied invasion of Sicily (10 July 1943-17 August 1943). After the Allied victory in North Africa (Operation Torch), a decision was Read More
Posted in a Facebook post on the 14 April 2023 by Frederick Galea. During the early morning 8 July 1942, seven Ju88s escorted by Bf109s and twenty-one MC.202s made for Luqa. The formation was intercepted by Spitfires from three squadrons. Flt Lt Lester Sanders led his 603 Squadron to attack the bombers, but they had Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea in a Facebook post on the 06/04/2023 Seafire-IIc MB293 – Parts of wartime Seafire recovered from seabed – Times of Malta, 27 April 1994 Parts of a wartime Seafire have been recovered from the seabed half a mile off Ramla l-Hamra, Gozo. The one-and-a-half ton wreck, consisting of the engine, parts Read More
Article and Photos posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 30/03/2023. A Malta Police Report reads as follows: “23.03.1943. – A Spitfire struck a cliff near Fungus Reek, Dwejra, Gozo, whilst trying to land in a field nearby. The pilot was extricated and conveyed to Victoria Hospital”. A 1995 cross-check with the records at Read More
Post by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 24/03/2023 The following information was derived during an interrogation of Lt Chilcott, T/Sgt Bullock, T/Sgt Hord and S/Sgt Robinson, by Intelligence Officer Captain Stephen C Van Fleet, United States Air Corps: 343 Squadron of the United States Army Air Force based in Lete in the Middle East Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea on 17/03/2023 on Facebook Saturday, 13 December 1941 – In the morning, six Blenheims of 107 Squadron took off from Luqa to strike at enemy shipping at Argostoli in the Ionian island of Kefallonia. A low-level attack was made on two merchant vessels and two warships. There was intense return fire Read More
At 11:25 hours nine Beaufighters of 272 Squadron took off to escort nine Beauforts of 39 Squadron on a shipping strike off Punto Stelo. At 11:38 hours Beaufighter T5174/N, with Sgt Donald Frazee RCAF, at the controls and Sgt Sandery as observer, began to vibrate violently and lost speed rapidly. There was no option but Read More
Shared by Frederick Galea on Facebook on 3 March 2023 A Maryland was lost on 15 February 1942. During an afternoon patrol of the Central Ionian Sea, Sqn Ldr Lowry and his crew aboard AR714 (Flg Off John Bosley, Sgts Durrant and Rasmussen) located an Italian naval force comprising three cruisers and eight destroyers.On the Read More
Post on Facebook Shared by Frederick Galea on 24/02/2023 More scuba-dives on the sunken wreck of the Bristol Beaufort took place between 12-24 October 1992, by a group of RAF divers out from the UK, led by Master Engineer Phil Nobbs; Chief Tech Chris Manning, Sqn Ldr John Sadler, Flt Lt Mark Istance, WO Dave Read More
From Facebook post by Frederick Galea on the 17/02/2023 Bristol Beaufort DW805 ditched off the coast below Fort St Leonardo owing to engine problems on 21 August 1942 – an OADU aircraft. Sgt Pritchard, the WOP/AG, was slightly injured in the crash, but Plt Off Moody and his crew took to their dinghy and were Read More
From Facebook post by Frederick Galea on the 10/02/2023 A Rolls Royce Merlin aero-engine from a Hawker Hurricane wartime crash site lay on the seabed off the Marsascala/Zonqor area for many years in 16m of water. The images shown are dated late 1970s, and in the early 80s, during one of my recovery ‘adventures’, I Read More
Article & Pictures posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 03/02/2023 Another of my ‘adventures’ was the organising of the recovery of a Daimler Benz 601 aircraft engine from an underwater crash site of a Messerschmitt Bf109 off Bahar ic-Caghaq, some years back. Needless to say, friends of mine from the scuba-diving fraternity were Read More
Article and Pictures posted on Facebook by Frederick Galea on the 27/01/2023 In the evening of 5th March 1941, an estimated sixty bombers accompanied by Messerschmitt fighters, raided the Island. The Ju87 (J9+CH Werk-Nr.5297) crewed by Uffz Wilhelm Singer and Obgfr Paul Stapf was shot down into the sea off Zonqor Point. On 22nd June Read More