Charles Debono looks back at the crash of Pilot Officer Walter ‘Pips’ Cripps on April 26, 1942.

On April 26, 1942, Air Officer Commanding Malta, Air Vice Marshal Hugh Lloyd was advised that an intercept of Luftwaffe Enigma traffic indicated that some units of Fliegerkorps II were preparing to leave Sicily.

Meanwhile, an air raid warning was sounded at about 2.28pm, where a total of 55 Junkers Ju88s and 15 Junkers Ju87 Stukas appeared over Malta and attacked Ta’ Qali, Luqa, the Grand Harbour area and Kalafrana. Bombs also dropped on Marsa, Qormi, St Paul’s Bay, Buffs Camp at Attard, Delimara, Salina, Fleur-de-Lys, Sliema, Msida, Lintorn Barracks, anti-aircraft gun positions at Spinola and searchlight emplacements at Salina and Tigné, St Paul’s Bay and Attard.

The buildings of the Ordnance Depot at Ospizio were hit again. There was considerable destruction in residential areas. Casualties included at least one civilian fatality and several wounded. The ‘all clear signal’ was sounded at 3.44pm. There was no damage or casualties in Battalion sector.

Six Spitfires − three from No. 601 Squadron and another three from No. 249 Squadron and four Hurricanes − were scrambled. The No. 601 Squadron trio engaged the Junkers Ju87s, where the New Zealand pair, Sergeant Reg Dickson and Sergeant Jack McConnell, claimed one damage between them but their Canadian section leader, Pilot Officer Walter ‘Pip’ Cripps, was hit by fire from an escort Messerschmitt Bf109F, possibly flown by Oberleutnant Helmut Belser of 8/Jagdgeschwader 53 (in short JG 53), who claimed his 24th victory.

Pilots of No. 601 Squadron aboard USS Wasp, en route to Malta on April 20, 1942, during ‘Operation Calendar’. Photo: US National Archives

As we shall see, there is lack of accuracy in several sources about the fate of Cripps. He had arrived with other members of No. 601 Squadron in Malta on April 20, 1942, during ‘Operation Calendar’. According to the book Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942, he was seriously wounded in the foot by a cannon shell. He managed to bail out but his parachute only partially opened and he broke his other foot on landing, later dying in hospital from spinal concussion and shock. This statement is confirmed in the book Malta at War Vol. 6, edited by Mark Anthony Vella. His Spitfire (BR125/I-P) crashed in Main Street, Qormi.

The four No. 249 Squadron Hurricanes had scrambled five minutes after the No. 601 Squadron section had departed but Pilot Officer Nash had returned with an electrical systems failure, leaving Sergeant Ray Hesselyn to lead Pilot Officer Ralph James into action against a number of Messerschmitt Bf109Fs over St Paul’s Bay. Hesselyn claimed damage to one Messerschmitt Bf109F but was attacked by many others and his own aircraft was hit.

He was then warned of Junkers Ju87 Stukas diving on Ta’ Qali airfield and engaged one at 8,000 feet, firing a four-second burst. The aircraft was seen to catch fire and the crew bailed out; two parachutes were seen over Naxxar and the Junkers Ju87 Stuka seen by a witness to crash into the sea.

A Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc on USS Wasp. Photo: NWM Archives

Cripps’s parachute only partially opened, he later died in hospital from spinal concussion and shock

Meanwhile, Pilot Officer James, after attempting to attack Junkers Ju88s over Grand Harbour, was also attacked by Messerschmitt Bf109Fs and his Spitfire (BR199) was badly damaged. James was wounded by cannon splinters in the neck and left leg but he succeeded in belly-landing the aircraft at Ta’ Qali airfield. Despite his wounds, he was able to scramble clear of the wreck and reach a shelter as Messerschmitt Bf109Fs swooped down to strafe.

Anti-aircraft gunners managed to shoot down a Junkers Ju88 of 3/KG 54. Haúptmann Wilhelm Schmidt’s B3+NL was hit while flying over Kalafrana, the bomber ditching into the sea. Staffelkapitän Schmidt, although wounded, survived to be rescued by a German Air Sea Rescue craft while the gunner was picked up by a rescue boat from Malta; the other two members of his crew were lost.

A banner dedicated to Pilot Officer Walter Ephraim ‘Pip’ Cripps.

As always or nearly always, the time duration of the air raid and the fate of Cripps varied from one source to the other. According to the Malta Police reports, the air raid warning was sounded at 2.25pm while the all clear was issued at 3.34pm. The report says that a Spitfire crashed in Main Street, Qormi, and only the pilot was seriously injured.

The fate of Cripps is the same as what was written in the War Diary of the 11th Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers. According to their diary, at about 3.30pm, a Spitfire crashed in an area at Mrieħel. A captain of the Manchester Regiment and two stretcher bearers reached Pilot Officer Walter Cripps who was taken to the Main Dressing Station in Ħamrun. According to the report, the pilot should have been able to recuperate from his wounds.

The same result is mentioned by the record book of RAF Station Luqa airfield, which says that at about 2.40pm a Spitfire crashed, with the pilot seriously injured.

The Spitfire flown by Canadian Pilot Officer Walter E. ‘Pip’ Cripps burning in a private garden in High Street, Qormi. Photo: NWM Archives

About a month and a week later, a letter dated June 6, 1942, was sent by the owner of the land, Anthony Zammit, to the competent authorities shedding light on what happened after the crash. He writes in his letter that:

“About six weeks ago, it happened that a Spitfire, owing to some trouble in the machine, has crashed at our farmyard, at the above address [441, Main Street, C. Qormi], which was nearly burnt to ashes. At that very moment, military armed sentry rushed to the scene for help, where afterwards they kept on watching the parts left for about four days. Then they handed over this responsibility to the Civil Police who acted as such and after nine days on continuous guard they left the spot forever, leaving everything as it was.”

He kindly demanded for action to be taken to remove the parts of the machine left, including four cannons − two of which were charged with bullets. Besides, he wanted the authorities to repair the damage caused to his dwelling place. However, in the same document, there are a couple of missing letters, which means that we do not know what happened afterwards.

A Spitfire being refuelled and rearmed while protected by a stone pen. Photo: NWM Archives

Acknowledgements

The marble slab of Cripps’s grave that can be found at the Capuccini Naval Cemetery, Kalkara (CWGC). Photo: Author’s Collection

The author consulted several sources but he first wishes to thank Anthony Rogers for his generous help and assistance and for his book Air Battle of Malta: Aircraft Losses and Crash Sites. He also referred to the book Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942 by Christopher Shores, Brian Cull with Nicola Malizia; and Malta at War Vol. 6, edited by Mark Anthony Vella, which were consulted for the detailed information about this particular air raid. He also wishes to thank the staff of the National Archives (Malta) and the National Library.