Malta: A Childhood Under Siege
Linda Peek
“Air raid warning, air raid warning. Shut your doors and windows.”
The Rediffusion blared out in English and then in Maltese, at 6:55am on the morning of 11 June 1940.
This was the first of many times we would hear that warning. The day our lives changed.
Margaret Staples was nine years old at the beginning of 1939 when her father was posted to the British colony of Malta with the Royal Engineers. Swimming every day, with blue skies and balmy weather; Margaret and her siblings thought they were in paradise.
Everything changed when the Second World War broke out. Hitler wanted to take control of Malta for its strategic position, right in the middle of the Mediterranean. To this end, the Axis powers dropped more bombs on this tiny island than anywhere else on the planet. When that didn’t work, they decided to sink all the supply ships going to the island and force capitulation through starvation.
This is Margaret’s story of survival, told by her daughter Linda.
Duration - 9h 49m.
Author - Linda Peek.
Narrator - Linda Peek.
Published Date - Tuesday, 02 January 2024.
Copyright - © 2023 Linda Peek ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
“Air raid warning, air raid warning. Shut your doors and windows.” The Rediffusion blared out in English and then in Maltese, at 6:55am on the morning of 11 June 1940. This was the first of many times we would hear that warning. The day our lives changed. Margaret Staples was nine years old at the beginning of 1939 when her father was posted to the British colony of Malta with the Royal Engineers. Swimming every day, with blue skies and balmy weather; Margaret and her siblings thought they were in paradise. Everything changed when the Second World War broke out. Hitler wanted to take control of Malta for its strategic position, right in the middle of the Mediterranean. To this end, the Axis powers dropped more bombs on this tiny island than anywhere else on the planet. When that didn’t work, they decided to sink all the supply ships going to the island and force capitulation through starvation. This is Margaret’s story of survival, told by her daughter Linda. Duration - 9h 49m. Author - Linda Peek. Narrator - Linda Peek. Published Date - Tuesday, 02 January 2024. Copyright - © 2023 Linda Peek ©.
Language:
English
Opening credits
Duration:00:00:16
Note from the author
Duration:00:03:47
Part 1: Before Malta
Duration:00:00:03
My father
Duration:00:00:42
The gun
Duration:00:05:49
Sam from Brigg
Duration:00:19:23
Sam the Sapper
Duration:00:06:03
Limerick
Duration:00:05:06
Turkey
Duration:00:11:23
Hilda Mary
Duration:00:21:12
Romance
Duration:00:05:30
Five under five
Duration:00:09:03
On our way to Hong Kong
Duration:00:06:49
Penang
Duration:00:02:55
Singapore
Duration:00:01:51
Hong Kong
Duration:00:06:21
Hankow Road
Duration:00:10:16
The wet markets
Duration:00:01:43
A social whirl
Duration:00:05:27
The typhoon
Duration:00:03:04
Sundays at the beach
Duration:00:03:03
Darlington
Duration:00:02:01
The Ideal Home Exhibition
Duration:00:04:23
Posted to Malta
Duration:00:04:10
A brief history of Malta
Duration:00:04:19
Language
Duration:00:02:52
The Knights of Malta
Duration:00:07:35
The first siege of Malta
Duration:00:05:18
The second siege of Malta
Duration:00:02:33
On our way to Malta
Duration:00:03:49
Part 2: Malta
Duration:00:00:02
Arrival in Malta
Duration:00:08:50
A party at the palace
Duration:00:04:17
Maison Notre Dame
Duration:00:05:48
Paradise
Duration:00:10:40
Sa Maison Gardens
Duration:00:03:14
Carnival time
Duration:00:03:35
Summer activities
Duration:00:05:02
Two additions to the family
Duration:00:01:29
My mother
Duration:00:01:56
The twins
Duration:00:06:12
My brothers
Duration:00:03:33
The Staples Five
Duration:00:02:52
War starts
Duration:00:02:01
The third siege of Malta begins
Duration:00:05:41
Why Hilter needed Malta
Duration:00:06:06
Carrie and the mortuary
Duration:00:06:14
Move to St Andrews
Duration:00:04:07
Life at St Andrews
Duration:00:01:54
The Governor's garden party
Duration:00:03:23
Mass exodus
Duration:00:06:47
Back to Maison Notre Dame
Duration:00:02:49
Our own shelter
Duration:00:03:23
Raining cats and cats
Duration:00:03:16
Mum's best friend
Duration:00:06:27
Spaghetti
Duration:00:03:15
Rationing
Duration:00:11:04
The Victory kitchens
Duration:00:03:25
Treasure floating in the sea
Duration:00:01:35
Two squares of chocolate
Duration:00:01:10
Mrs Clarke's salt pans
Duration:00:04:25
Salina Palace
Duration:00:13:10
Chiswick House
Duration:00:10:05
St Aloysius college
Duration:00:04:55
The air raid shelters
Duration:00:06:32
The seminary shelter
Duration:00:05:30
The red flag
Duration:00:03:40
A near miss
Duration:00:05:18
The bomb in the garden
Duration:00:03:31
The accident
Duration:00:07:48
Water and fuel
Duration:00:04:36
Mrs Palmer
Duration:00:04:11
The Army store
Duration:00:04:02
No new clothes
Duration:00:05:42
Infections and epidemics
Duration:00:05:50
The Illustrious blitz
Duration:00:08:41
ENSA
Duration:00:05:19
Christina and the Whizz Bangs
Duration:00:06:18
Other pastimes
Duration:00:08:26
The rabbit
Duration:00:04:30
The demise of the rabbit
Duration:00:04:02
Rabbits and cats
Duration:00:01:19
The Boy Scouts
Duration:00:08:23
The batman
Duration:00:04:56
The artists
Duration:00:12:32
Morale boosters
Duration:00:03:09
The threat of invasion
Duration:00:08:28
Our lowest ebb
Duration:00:05:12
Operation Pedestal and the end of the siege
Duration:00:05:50
The King's visit
Duration:00:09:01
The Lascaris War Rooms and operation Husky
Duration:00:04:09
The end of the siege
Duration:00:04:11
Our last year in Malta
Duration:00:05:35
The Malta Conference
Duration:00:01:04
Leaving Malta
Duration:00:02:20
Part 3: After Malta
Duration:00:00:03
The family splits up
Duration:00:04:51
Dad leaves the Royal Engineers
Duration:00:03:23
Meeting Ken
Duration:00:03:49
Married life
Duration:00:12:41
Bad Fallingbostel
Duration:00:02:51
White Gable and Meresborough nursery
Duration:00:04:21
Travel and retirement
Duration:00:05:37
My brother Pat
Duration:00:03:15
My brother Ed
Duration:00:09:20
My sister Daphne
Duration:00:03:27
My sister Joan
Duration:00:06:19
Medals and recognition
Duration:00:02:44
Back to Malta
Duration:00:11:20
Afterword
Duration:00:13:17
Acknowledgements
Duration:00:02:09
Ending credits
Duration:00:00:14