A 99-year-old retired engineer is making a heartfelt appeal to understand what happened to his wartime friends from his days as a dockyard apprentice during World War II.

Joseph V Stephens, born in Marsa to a Maltese mother and English father, began his electrical apprenticeship at the dockyard at age 16, just one month before Malta was under siege.

Now living in the US, Stephens, who despite his age, is as sharp as a knife, is eager to discover what happened to those who shared the hardships of those years.

“I’m doing all this because I want to feel young again. It would give me such strength knowing what happened to them,” he said.

More than 75 years have passed since Stephens left Malta, but the bonds he formed with his fellow apprentices during those turbulent times remain strong in his memory.

One man, in particular, stands out – Cuthbert Grech, whom Stephens fondly remembers as “a remarkably ingenious fellow”.

Joseph Stephens with two friends in Malta (unknown) in 1948, and, right, a solo portrait of Stephens.

In 1942, amid the bombs raining down on the Grand Harbour, Grech and Stephens would disguise themselves as naval personnel in blue overalls, and sneak aboard cruisers and destroyers to scavenge for food.

“We could easily have been arrested, but we didn’t care. We were starving,” Stephens recalled.

Stephens also remembers his contemporaries Walter Darmanin, Caledon Ferriggi and Immanuel Cauchi, as well as their instructor, Chiko Zammit.

He hopes to find out what became of them and perhaps reconnect even though he is aware the chances of that happening are fairly slim.

The Siege of Malta, which began in June 1940 and lasted until May 1943, transformed the island into a fortress under constant attack. Malta, crucial for its strategic location in the Mediterranean, became one of the most-bombed areas in the world.

The dockyard, located near the Grand Harbour, was a key target as Axis forces sought to cripple British naval operations on the island.

Stephens recalls the fear and danger of working in the dockyard during the air raids.

“My mother was very concerned for my safety as we were in the centre of the action. It was very dangerous just going to work in those days,” he said.

Despite the danger, the experience forged strong friendships among the apprentices.

Joseph Stephens aged 15 at the Upper Barrakka.

'Everyone in Malta wanted to leave'

“At my age, you have a lot of time on your hands, and your mind begins to wander. Lately, I’ve been wondering what happened to my old friends,” he said.

Stephens finished his apprenticeship in 1946 and left Malta two years later, joining many young Maltese who sought opportunities abroad after the war.

“Everyone in Malta wanted to leave, especially our young ones, and unfortunately, we totally lost touch,” he said.

Stephens tried to reconnect with his contemporaries decades ago through an Australian publication but his efforts fell flat. Now, with more time on his hands, Stephens is making one final attempt to reach out to his wartime comrades.

“I have this curiosity about them I can’t seem to shake, and I know I need to tackle it,” he said.

Anyone with information on dockyard apprentices between 1940 and 1946 may contact Stephens at joseph9922@icloud.com