Malta Memorial , Panel 10 - Anyone with a Picture ?

Discussion in 'War Grave Photographs' started by militarycross, Nov 21, 2008.

  1. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    Hello Friends - I am searching for a picture of Panel 10 of the Malta Memorial. A chap from our town is remembered on it. This is my first post so forgive me if I have not sorted all this out. I am delighted to have found this site. thanks. phil
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Welcome Phil,
    I moved your request to it's own thread, it's more likely to get noticed.
     
  3. Donnie

    Donnie Remembering HHWH

    What was his name mate?

    Donnie
     
  4. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Welcome to the forum Phil, hope you enjoy it here. Could you give more info on your man? Someone on here might be able to help.

    Regards
    Peter
     
  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  6. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    Wow! Hello friends, the gentleman I am looking for is FS Pilot A.L. Keith, R90509. His nephew is a chum of mine and we were talking about him the other night. He was listed as FTR from a mission April of 1943.

    I have been attempting to gather information and photos on the men and woman who are named on our Cenotaph, all 653 of them. We have 400 from the CEF, 5 from Korea and the rest from WW2. I was poking around the internet and found this place and decided I could learn a lot. From the responses, I am delighted to be here. Hope I can make a contribution to the cause.
    phil
     
  7. Verrieres

    Verrieres no longer a member

    Hi ,

    Found this on the web its not the Malta memorial but I believe it is relevant to your search

    Vet remembers Steelton comrades
    Holds special place for 6 childhood chums killed in Second World War<O:p

    Paul Paolini will spend Remembrance Day at home, but he won't be alone. The Second World War veteran would rather not say publicly why he won't attend the 90th national Remembrance Day ceremony Tuesday morning at the Essar Centre. But the retired Sault Ste. Marie firefighter has good reason to mourn Canada's war dead. Six of his childhood chums were killed in action during the six-year war. Together, known as the Steelton Gang, they rode their bikes to the canal and swam off Whitefish Island. They picked "lots of berries" at the current site of the Rankin Arena. The friends played baseball at the North Street field
    They were buddies like Alan Lionel Keith, who died April 28, 1943. The former John Street resident -- he used to live 10 doors north of Paolini's present-day home -- was a warrant officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force's 221 Squadron. He's buried in Malta.<O:p
    Albert Lloyd Stilin, who called nearby Beverly Street home, was killed Sept. 30, 1942. He was 21. Stilin, a sergeant with the RCAF, is buried in England.<O:p
    Stewart Alexander Madill, a private with the Irish Regiment of Canada, died at age 22 on Jan. 29, 1944. His final resting place is at the Cassino Memorial in Italy.<O:p
    Herbert William Elliott and William James Kasuback were casualties too. Paolini and Elliott grew up together. Both attended Sault Collegiate Institute. Their mothers exchanged pictures of their sons when they enlisted. The body of Elliott, an air gunner, has no known grave. "I just felt sorry for them," said Paolini.<O:p
    "We all realized we might get killed. Our biggest fear was getting hurt really bad. We didn't want to come home a cripple." After six years of service, Paolini was hired by the city's fire department in January 1946. He and his wife, Adrienne, raised seven children. In the mid 1950s, the grandfather of 18 learned the names of more than 250 local men killed during the Second World War would be added to the cenotaph on Queen Street East. "I stopped there and looked at it," he said. "(There were) the names of my chums from John Street. I realized that I'd been so preoccupied with living my life that I'd forgotten about them. It was quite a shock to me. That was quite the thing." Paolini put up poppies at his home to remember his fallen friends. They were recently replaced with a plaque, a gift from his daughter Tina Stewart, that now hangs in his kitchen. It lists the name of his childhood friends and another half-dozen veterans, most of whom were city firefighters like Paolini. Those men, including fire inspector Robert Gibb, are dead too. There's a poppy above each name. Paolini's photo is in the middle. "I look at them and I remember them all the time now," he said. "She was going to give it to me for Christmas, but she couldn't wait. She gave it to me now. It's all fixed up pretty nice." A former firefighting colleague will make sure Paolino has company Tuesday. Eric Alessandrini and up to about a dozen other retired firefighters plan to visit Paolini after the Remembrance Day service ends in the early afternoon "and wish him well." "(He was) an excellent firefighter and one of the best platoon chiefs we ever had," said Alessandrini. "We were always close. Firefighters are close-knit comrades. Everybody jumped on when we said we'll go to his house. The firefighters didn't forget him. These guys deserve a little recognition for what they did." It's a gesture that Paolini, who retired 26 years ago, appreciates. "That me feel pretty good," he said<O:p.

    Extract from THE SAULT STAR

    Regards
    Verrieres<O:p

    <O:p
    <!-- Updated by Sunjoyo on July 18, 2008, as per Mantis Bug Request on July 17, 2008-->
     
  8. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    This story appeared in the paper the day before Remembrance Day. I did the job getting the poppies mounted for Paul. He is a long time friend. The next day's story was on me and a colleague who have done a photo essay on 65 of our Veterans.

    E for effort, but I would still like to get a photo of the Malta Memorial panel 10.

    thanks.

    phil
     
  9. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    phil

    Put a couple of feelers out and came up with the following info.

    Wellington AD593

    Took off from Luqa at 00.55 for shipping strike 30 miles NNE of Ustica. Shotdown by flak off Cape Bianco, Sicily.

    F/Sgt A L Keith RCAF
    Sgt A W Brighurst RAF
    F/Sgt J C Paroissien RAAF
    Sgt A Sutherland RAF
    Sgt G Lyle RAF

    Postwar No. 5 MREU visited the site of the crash:

    "This aircraft crashed into a cliff and its bombload exploded on impact. The machine was scattered over the beach burning. A few remains were recovered and buried on the beach by a local inhabitant. These remains are not recoverable and have probably been washed away by the tides " (1947)


    Thanks to Amrit rafcommands

    Regards
    Peter
     
  10. Donnie

    Donnie Remembering HHWH

    Hi Phil,

    This maybe of iterest to you, my Great Uncle William Geroge Creed served with 221 Squadron in Malta and was killed on the 02/02/1943 (only a short time before Alan)|. I have a book called Lest We Forget which lists squadron casualties whilst serving in Malta.....Alan Keith is not listed as dead. 221 Squadron had lots of ex 38 Squadron guys with them and it maybe a possiblity that he was with them before 221 Sqdn....Me and my freind are publishing a book on mine and his Great Uncle which includes their time with 221....i will email him tonight to see if he can suggest something....it maybe that he was operating from Shallufa on the North African coast with 221 sqdn (i believe half was in Malta and half in Shallufa)...so if he was shot down over Malta he would be on the Memorial....but as he did not operate from Malta did not qualify to be in the book?......EDIT: are we sure its 221 Squadron?

    I hope this is not to confusing?, Donnie
     
  11. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    My Dad's cousin was flying out of Tunisia with 420 Sqn & is on the Memorial.
    Thread here
    I've only got a photo for his panel, sorry.
     
  12. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    Peter
    This is extremely great. I will file it in my records and share it with my chum.

    In the book, They Shall Grow Not Old, it simply states that the aircraft failed to return from operations.

    Pardon my ignorance but what does No5 MREU mean? Thanks.

    phil
     
  13. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    HI Donnie

    I am wondering if because Keith was a Canadian if that is why he is not in the Lest We Forget book. This is what it says on the Virtual Memorial to Canadian Service Personnel.
    In memory of
    Warrant Officer Class I
    ALAN LIONEL KEITH
    who died on April 28, 1943

    Military Service:

    <DL><DT>Service Number: R/90509 <DT>Force: Air Force <DT>Unit: Royal Canadian Air Force <DT>Division: 221 Sqdn. </DT></DL>Additional Information:

    <DL><DT style="FONT-WEIGHT: 100">Son of Mr. & Mrs. L. S. Keith, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.<SCRIPT language=JavaScript type=text/javascript>function sizedPopup(url,width,height) { Books = window.open(url,"Books","height="+height+",width="+width+",alwaysLowered=0,alwaysRaised=0,channelmode=0,dependent=0,directories=0,fullscreen=0,hotkeys=1,location=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,status=0,titlebar=1,toolbar=0,z-lock=0"); Books.focus();}window.name="Books_opener";</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/JavaScript>// <!--function viewPage() {sizedPopup("/content/collections/virtualmem/bookview.cfm?page=176&BookName=Second%20World%20War&BookRef=bww2/ww2176.jpg&EndPage=615&lang=english",600,400);}// --></SCRIPT> Commemorated on Page 176 of the
    Second World War Book of Remembrance.
    <NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>[CLICK HERE FOR AN IMAGE OF THIS PAGE]
    [TO ORDER A COPY OF THIS PAGE CLICK HERE]
    Do you have photographs or personal memorabilia relating to ALAN LIONEL KEITH that you want included in our photo collection?
    Then [CLICK HERE TO SEND US YOUR PHOTOS]
    <!-- Burial Information Table -->Burial Information:

    <!-- End Burial Information Table --><!-- Cemetery Information Table -->
    Cemetery:
    MALTA MEMORIAL
    Malta

    Grave Reference: Panel 10, Column 2.

    Location:The MALTA MEMORIAL is situated in the area of Floriana and is easily identified by the Golden Eagle which surmounts the column. It stands outside the King's Gate, the main entrance to Valletta.

    The Memorial takes the form of a column fifteen metres high of travertine marble from Tivoli in the Sabine Hills near Rome, incised with a a light reticulated pattern and surmounted by a gilded bronze eagle two metres high. The column stands on a circular base around which the names are commemorated on bronze panels.

    The MALTA MEMORIAL, built on a site generously provided by the Government of Malta, commemorates those who lost their lives whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying from bases in Austria, Italy, Sicily, islands of the Adriatic and Mediterranean, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, West Africa, Yugoslavia and Gibraltar, and who have no known grave.
    The bravery of the people of the island of Malta between the years 1940 - 1942 was honoured with the unique award of the George Cross.
    </DT></DL>Peter has offered some insight other than the did not return from Operations piece that the BCATP Memorial book shows.

    Did your Great Uncle train in the UK or here in Canada?

    cheers

    phil
     
  14. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    Owen
    Thanks for the thread. I have a print of two Wimpys returning over a sun-streaked cloud base which I hang here in the office beside me. It speaks to me of hope and tomorrow for these lads.
    phil
     
  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I'll post this again here as well as Cousin Bill's thread as you never know who might find it useful in the future.

    [​IMG]

    Panel 8

    [​IMG]
     
  16. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    Thank you, Owen. I appreciate these pictures. How do you insert a photo into your message? I am a novice on this element.

    phil
     
  17. militarycross

    militarycross Very Senior Member

    Now, I will answer my own question, thanks to Mick at the British War Graves. You will find their site listen on this thread:
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-grave-photographs/22113-collecting-photos-grave-stones-why-7.html

    Go down to #67, where Martinb gives us the poop.

    Well, I did for Keith [and Tweedle who is named on the same panel] and within 72 hours, I have the images I was looking for.

    Now, the next question I have is of the picture of the memorial included here. There appear to be 8 panels visible. Any of the intrepid detectives on the forum know which panels we are looking at?

    cheers all,
    phil
     

    Attached Files:

  18. ronlong

    ronlong New Member

    Hi Folks - I am also interested in panel 10 of the Malta Memorial. My Uncle is remembered there.

    On the night of August 14, 1943 P/O Arthur Bebbington Long , 420 squadron, flying Wellington DF686 on a raid to Pizzo Italy failed to return to his base in Tunisia. The squadron diary records light opposition on the raid and also the note that night fighters were requested to avoid the target areas.

    I have not been able to find any information on an investigation of this disappearance or any indication that anyone reported his aircraft going down. Another aircraft on the same raid did report a crash near Pizzo but we don't know anything about that crash.

    The light opposition and the mention of night fighters raises the question in my mind - could this be a case of friendly fire?

    I would appreciate any information anyone has about any of this. I also would like a photo of panel 10.

    Ron Long rlphoto@shaw.ca

    Attachments - Arthur's Log Cover - Arthur's Logbook final page
     

    Attached Files:

  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  20. helen221sqdn

    helen221sqdn New Member

    Hi all. I am researching my step mum's uncle in the hope that I can compile a book of information for Christmas for her. I am trying to find out as much as I can about 221 squadron, specifically Marcus Barker, who was killed 2/2/1943 Malta. I have requested his records today, so might be in for a long wait, but in the mean time, is there anywhere I can find the war diaries relating to his movements?? I'm not very RAF savvy, any help would be gratefully received, many thanks
     

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