THE NEWS HAD
SPREAD THROUGHOUT MALTA AND GOZO. "MUSSOLINI DECLEARED WAR!"
IT WAS THE 10th OF JUNE 1940.
THE POPULACE WERE CONFUSED AND AFRAID. THE WAR WITH GERMANY HAD BEEN
GOING SINCE THE 3rd SEPTEMBER 1939. THE NAMES OF HITLER AND MUSSOLINI HAD
BECAME FEARED GAS MASKS WERE BEING SUPPLIED TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN EARLY
1940 BEFORE ITALY DECLEARED WAR. TILL NIGHT ALL THE ISLAND WERE SAD.
THE AUTHORITIES HAVE PREPERD SOME CELLERS TO SERVE AS SHELTERS. PEOPLE
WENT TO SLEEP THAT NIGHT AFRAID WHAT WOULD THEY WILL FACE NEXT MORNING.
 |
|
HOUSES IN COSPICUA (BORMLA)
|
ON TUESDAY 11th JUNE 1940 AT ABOUT 7am THE SIREN
WAS HEARD. THE PEOPLE DIDN'T NOW WHAT TO DO. SOON AFTER THE
ANNOUNCER OF THE REDIFFUSION (cable radio) WAS ANNOUNCING "AIR-RAID
WARNING --- SINJALI TA' ATTAKKI MIL-AJRU"
IN
THE FIRST AIR-RAID THE BOMBS FELL ON BORMLA, PIETA, GZIRA, FLORIANA AND
SANT' JIERMU.
 |
|
VICTORY STREET IN SENGLEA (ISLA)
|
ON
THE SAME DAY AT 7.25pm CAME ANOTHER BIG AIR-RAID BY NOT LESS THAN 25 ITALIAN
PLAINS. THERE WERE MANY CASUALTIES AND DEADS. BUILDINGS AT
BORMLA, TARXIEN, VERDALA BARRACKS, ZABBAR, RICASOLI, HAL FAR, SLIEMA AND
GZIRA WERE DAMAGED BY BOMBS. SAINT TERESA CONVENT IN BORMLA AND THE GOVERNMENT
SCHOOL WHICH WAS SERVING AS FIRSTAID CENTRE WERE HIT.
 |
|
THE CHURCH IN SENGLEA (ISLA)
|
THE
SCHOOL AT MATER BONI CONSILLI STREET IN PAOLA WAS BEING USED AS AN EMERGENCY
HOSPITAL. MANY OF THE CASUALTIES IN THIS HOSPITAL WERE MAINLY FROM COTTONERA
AND NEARBY. LATE AT NIGHT THERE WERE A PANDEMONIUM CAUSED BY REFUGEES FLEEING
FROM COTTONERA.
THE THREE CITIES WERE BOMBED
SEVERAL TIMES. IN COSPICUA MANY BOMBS HAVE FALLEN NEAR THE SANCTUARY AND
MANY BUILDINGS NEARBY WERE DESTROYED. A MINE HAD FALLED NEAR THE
WALLS OF THE CHURCH BUT LUCKILY FAILED TO EXPLODED. IF IT HAD DONE
SO, MOST PROBABLE ALL THE CHURCH WOULD HAVE COME DOWN. IT WAS CLEARD
AWAY BY THE BOMB DISPOSAL UNIT.
THE STATUE OF "MARIA BAMBINA" WAS TAKEN TO BIRKIRKARA
FROM THE CHURCH OF SENGLEA. SOON AFTER THE CHURCH IN SENGLEA HAS BEEN HIT
AND DESTROYED BY BOMBS. EAVEN SAINT DOMINIC CONVENT IN VITTORIOSA AND PART
OF SAINT LAWRANCE CHURCH WERE HIT.THE SACRISTY OF ST. LAWRANCE CHURCH
HAS BEEN USED AS A SHELTER, WHEN IT WAS HIT 30 CIVILIANS LOST THEIR LIVES.
|
|
SCENES OF DESTRUCTION.
|
ON THE 24th JANUARY 1941 THE STATUE OF THE IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION WAS ALSO TAKEN TO BIRKIRKARA.
 |
| CELEBRATING THE FEAST IN B'KARA.ON 8/12/1941 |
ONE HAS TO MENTION THAT AFTER THE WAR ON THE 19th OF NOVEMBER
1944, THERE WAS A PILGRIMAGE FROM BIRKIRKARA TO COSPICUA FULL
OF ENTHUSIASM ESPECIALY WHEN THEY REACHED COSPICUA
 |
| FROM BIRKIRKARA TO COSPICUA |
IF ALL THE COUNTRY FELT THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE WAR, HOW
MUCH MORE WERE FELT BY THE PEOPLE OF THE THREE CITIES. BETWEEN 1940
AND 1943 AROUND 70% OF ALL THE BULIDING WERE NOT IN GOOD CONDITION TO LIVE
IN.
THE THREE CITIES WERE COVERED WITH BLOOD. THE PRICE
THEY PAYED FOR REDEMPTION WAS HIGH.
IN THE YEAR 1943 MOST PEOPLE WERE COMING BACK TO LIVE
IN THE THREE CITIES.
ON THE 8th OF MAY 1943 THE BELLS RANG HAPPILY AFTER
THE NAZI AND ITALIAN HAD SURRENDERD IN NORTH AFRICA. THE FIRST BELLS
THAT RANG WERE THAT OF THE CHAPEL OF ST. ANGELO AND THAT OF ST. LAURENCE
IN VITTORIOSA. THIS NEWS MEANT THE END OF THE 2 WORLD WAR.
THAT DAY EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY AND IN MANY TOWNS AND VILLAGES THE LOCAL BANDS
MARCHED WITH JOY THROUGH THE STREETS. THEREWERE THE SOUND OF THE
SIREN FROM THE BOATS AND SHIPS IN THE HARBOUR.
THERE STILL WERE MANY PROBLEMS IN COTTONERA.
THE PEOPLE OF THE THREE CITIES HAVE SUFFERD, SOME LOST THIER LOVED ONCE.
THEY DESERVED PRAISE FOR THIER FEAT.
FOR THOSE WHO SUFFERED
COSPICUA PEOPLE WHO DIED DURING THE WAR
THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST .
|
NAME
|
AGE
|
DATE OF DEAD
|
|
ALLISON ALFRED
|
. |
30/4/41
|
|
ANCILLERI JOSEPH
|
. |
11/6/40
|
|
AQUILINA CARMELO
|
. |
. |
|
AQUILINA CARMELO
|
77
|
17/3/42
|
|
AQUILINA MICHAEL
|
60
|
8/4/41
|
|
ATTARD CARMELO
|
16
|
23/12/41
|
|
AZZOPARDI EMANUEL
|
42
|
4/11/42
|
|
BARBARA ALFRED
|
. |
3/4/42
|
|
BARTOLO ANGELO
|
. |
. |
|
BARTOLO JOSEPH
|
49
|
8/4/41
|
|
BARTOLO PAUL
|
24
|
4/4/42
|
|
BONNICI TARCISION
|
12
|
2/5/42
|
|
BORG ANTONIA
|
. |
. |
|
BORG CONCETTA
|
. |
. |
|
BORG FRA ILARIO
|
. |
. |
|
BORG JOHN
|
51
|
24/2/42
|
|
BYERS CHARLES
|
. |
9/4/42
|
|
CACHIA JOSEPH
|
22
|
9/6/40
|
|
CACHIA VINCENT
|
64
|
24/12/41
|
|
CALAFATO LAWRENCE
|
35
|
26/6/40
|
|
CAMILLERI CARMELO
|
9
|
12/6/40
|
|
CAMILLERI COSTANTINO
|
. |
. |
|
CAMILLERI FRANCIS
|
21
|
10/3/41
|
|
CAMILLERI LUKARDA
|
69
|
11/6/40
|
|
CATANIA CARMELO
|
54
|
. |
|
CATANIA EMANUEL
|
. |
. |
|
CIAPPARA CARMELO
|
41
|
29/5/40
|
|
CIOFFI ANTHONY
|
. |
5/4/42
|
|
CUTAJAR SAVIOUR
|
55
|
21/12/41
|
|
DALLI BONIVINCINO
|
14
|
3/5/42
|
|
DARMANIN CARMELO
|
26
|
17/3/42
|
|
DARMANIN EMANUEL
|
12
|
11/6/42
|
|
DARMANIN PETER
|
21
|
1942
|
|
DEGIORGIO FRANCIS
|
16
|
11/6/40
|
|
DEGIORGIO GEORGE
|
. |
. |
|
DELIA JOSEPH
|
4
|
17/3/42
|
|
DELIA JOSEPH
|
60
|
17/3/42
|
|
DELIA TONI
|
. |
1942
|
|
DESPOTT PAUL
|
16
|
19/4/42
|
|
FACCIOL JOSEPH
|
23
|
12/6/40
|
|
FAELLA JOSEPH
|
29
|
11/4/42
|
|
FARRUGIA ARTHUR
|
. |
1940
|
|
FARRUGIA CARMELO
|
54
|
. |
|
FARRUGIA JOSEPH
|
59
|
18/6/40
|
|
FENECH ANTONIA
|
28
|
12/6/40
|
|
FENECH FRANCIS
|
33
|
12/6/40
|
|
FENECH MARY
|
6
|
12/6/40
|
|
FENECH SAVIOUR
|
8
|
12/6/40
|
|
FITENI CARMELO
|
40
|
27/6/40
|
|
FLORES DOMNIC
|
. |
8/4/41
|
|
FRENDO FRANCIS
|
30
|
2/5/42
|
|
GALEA DORIS
|
5 MONTHS
|
11/6/40
|
|
GALEA JOSEPH
|
21
|
21/12/42
|
|
GALEA SUSANNA
|
42
|
8/10/41
|
|
GAUCI EMANUEL
|
50
|
14/6/40
|
|
GAUCI GEORGE
|
80
|
17/3/42
|
|
GRECH FRANCIS
|
53
|
11/5/42
|
|
GILI ANTOINETTE
|
6
|
11/6/40
|
|
HALES JOSEPH
|
11
|
2/5/42
|
|
HALES JOSEPH
|
40
|
14/10/39 ( HMS Royal Oak )
|
|
HATCHINGS EMANUEL
|
40
|
8/4/41
|
|
LIVORI CARMELO
|
. |
. |
|
MEDINA JOSEPH
|
22
|
16/6/42
|
|
MERCIECA ANTHONY
|
. |
. |
|
MERCIECA JOSEPH
|
55
|
17/3/42
|
|
MIFSUD EDWARD
|
12
|
1942
|
|
MIFSUD WALTER
|
14
|
1942
|
|
MONTAGUE CARMELO
|
33
|
5/4/42
|
|
MONTAGUE DANIEL
|
13
|
5/4/42
|
|
MONTAGUE JOSEPH
|
11
|
5/4/42
|
|
MONTAGUE MARY
|
8
|
5/4/42
|
|
MONTANARO ALFRED
|
63
|
21/3/42
|
|
MONTANARO MARIA
|
58
|
21/3/42
|
|
MONTANARO JOHN
|
16
|
21/3/42
|
|
PACE ROMEO
|
35
|
11/6/40
|
|
PISANI LORENZA
|
32
|
17/6/41
|
|
PISCOPO JOSEPH
|
75
|
2/5/42
|
|
SCHIAVONE EMANUEL
|
20
|
14/10/39 ( HMS Royal Oak )
|
|
SCICLUNA CONCETTA
|
24
|
12/6/40
|
|
SCICLUNA JOSEPH
|
18
|
23/4/42
|
|
SCICLUNA JOSEPHINE
|
24
|
13/6/40
|
|
SPITERI EMANUEL
|
65
|
16/6/40
|
|
TRAPANI JOHN
|
50
|
13/6/40
|
|
VASSALLO JOSEPH
|
. |
1944
|
|
VASSALLO TONI
|
. |
1944
|
|
VELLA JOSEPH
|
35
|
10/6/42
|
|
WYATT ARTHUR
|
22
|
11/6/40
|
|
WYATT CONCETTA
|
18
|
11/6/40
|
|
ZAFFARESE ROMEO
|
35
|
8/1/45 ( SS Ashbury )
|
|
ZAMMIT ANTHONY
|
70
|
2/3/42
|
|
ZARB SALVATORE
|
. |
. |
Ref : Charles J.Boffa. It-tlitt iblet matul l-Ahhar
Gwerra.
Programm tal-
festa. BORMLA.1994.
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