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 had tried to lift two engines on the same outing. Only one was raised owing to strong underwater currents that day experienced by Vlas Zastera, with whom I scuba-dived on several occasions. Therefore this Merlin was left there for another day.
It resulted that in the interval the Merlin, which lay on a reef, fell into deeper waters and was believed lost! However, years later, a scuba-diver friend assured me that it was still there and that he could locate it without difficulty. Therefore, in 2000, a recovery operation was organised by the Malta Aviation Museum Foundation, and the engine raised. My thanks go to my scuba-diver friends.
