At 9am on July 16, 1940, two aircraft took off in quick succession from Luqa airfield. Flight Lieutenant Peter Gardner Keeble, piloting Hawker Hurricane P2623, and Pilot Officer McAdam, in Gloster Gladiator N5524, were ordered to carry out a patrol at 20,000 feet over Luqa aerodrome.

Flight Lieutenant Peter Gardner Keeble. Photo: Malta Aviation Museum via Peter and Mike Bradbury

Ten minutes later, Mediterranean War Headquarters reported that a formation of bombers and another of fighters were approaching St Paul’s Bay from the north. The two pilots were ordered to intercept the Italian aircraft. Flight Lieutenant Keeble acknowledged, and soon after, the sound of machine gun fire could be heard in the air.

Then a monoplane aircraft came into view heading towards the ground, followed closely by a biplane. Both aircraft disappeared below the horizon and there was a huge explosion.

At 9.28am, both Keeble and McAdam were ordered to land but only the Gladiator touched down at Luqa airfield. Keeble was lying dead beside his blazing aircraft in a field near Marsascala.

A copy of the resolution passed by the Council of Government (text included in article). Photo: Malta Aviation Museum

Just a short distance away, another machine lay mangled on the ground, a CR42. The Italian pilot was still alive when the first people arrived on the scene. He was taken to hospital but never regained consciousness and died shortly after his admission. An intelligence officer went through the airman’s possessions, which included a wind jacket, a handkerchief with the initials M.B., a map, a cork lifejacket, cigarettes, matches and a comb.

The biplane was also examined by Intelligence. It was noted that the Fiat CR42 was numbered 4368 and on its tail there was the usual fascist emblem and a red ring with a black eagle in it, 74a Squadriglia’s insignia. Three machine guns were also found, the bullets for which were of the explosive type. The date 1940 was stamped on some parts of the biplane.

Incredibly enough, the pilot’s identity was established when RAF intelligence called their Italian counterparts in Sicily, who gave them the necessary information. He was Sotto Tenente Mario Benedetti, 24, son of the Commissioner of Police at Genoa. Benedetti was buried with full military honours at Mtarfa during the afternoon of the same day.

There were several witnesses of Keeble and Benedetti’s last flight.

Pilot Officer Jock Barber was observing the battle from the ground. He noted that the British pilot tried to dogfight with some CR42s. The Hurricane was hit, smoke started issuing from its engine and it plunged towards the ground. An enemy biplane stayed on its tail, followed it straight down and crashed too, close to the Hurricane. Barber was unsure whether the Italian aircraft was hit by ground fire or if its pilot was so intent on shooting down Keeble that he flew straight to the ground.

Fiat CR42 biplanes. Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org

Keeble had been hit by a bullet and killed instantly and his aircraft had plummeted to the ground uncontrolled

Wing Commander Carter Jonas also saw Keeble crash. After hearing the sound of firing, a Hurricane appeared heading towards the ground. Its dive flattened for a moment, as if the pilot was trying to land, but then it went straight in and crashed to the right of the wireless masts at Rinella.

Keeble on the roof of his house in Birżebbuġa. Photo: Malta Aviation Museum via Peter and Mike Bradbury

The RAF pilot was already dead when the aircraft hit the ground. From verbal reports of soldiers in the vicinity of the crash, it became apparent that Keeble had been hit by a bullet and killed instantly and his aircraft had plummeted to the ground uncontrolled. Soldiers of the Dorset Regiment also claimed to have shot down Benedetti with a machine gun.

On July 30, 1940, the Council of Government passed a resolution in which Flight Lieutenant Keeble was specifically mentioned: “Resolved that this House desires to place on record its high appreciation of the magnificent work performed by the Navy, Army and Royal Air Force in the defence of this outpost of the British Empire and to express its condolences with the next of kin of those members of the Allied Forces and of the civil population who have lost their lives in the great struggle for freedom of the world. The House moreover desires to express its sympathy with the relatives of Flight Lieutenant Keeble who gallantly sacrificed his life in the service of King and Empire in the air defence of Malta.”

In 1944, Peter’s father, Squadron Leader Noel Keeble, donated £275, which had been collected at RAF Station Felixstowe, to the Blue Sisters’ War Memorial Hospital for children, today Zammit Clapp Hospital. The money, collected during a dance, was used to buy the ‘Peter Keeble’ cot.

Flight Lieutenant Peter Keeble was the first of many Allied airmen to lose their lives during the Battle for Malta.

He is buried at Kalkara Naval Cemetery. Many others who followed him have no known grave and are commemorated at the War Memorial, Floriana.

They fought and died so we could be free. ‘Lest we forget’ their gallantry and sacrifice.

Keeble with his Hawker Hurricane P2614. Photo: Malta Aviation Museum via Peter and Mike Bradbury

Postscript

Previous accounts of that eventful morning state that Flight Lieutenant George Burges was in the air with Keeble. However, a document recently discovered by Anthony Rogers and kindly shared with the author shows that McAdam was flying Gladiator N5524 when Keeble was shot down.

More information about Flight Lieutenant Keeble can be found in Hurricanes Over Malta by Brian Cull and Frederick Galea, and Air Battle of Malta by Anthony Rogers.

The author wishes to thank Anthony Rogers and Ray Polidano, director of the Malta Aviation Museum, without whose assistance this article would not have been possible.