During World War II, most hunters joined the Malta Volunteer Defence Force (MVDF), which meant they were allowed to carry their shotguns everywhere, in case of an enemy airborne assault. They were even issued with free cartridges, intended to be fired at paratroopers, but which, in fact, were used to hunt birds.

Despite the abundance of wild fowl and the difficulty in obtaining gunpowder during the war, some shots were fired at targets other than game. For instance, in September 1940, Michael Micallef, 49, from Birkirkara, reported to the police that someone had killed his two cats. Suspicion fell on three hunters who had passed through the area where the incident happened.

In April 1941, Generoso Carabott from Żejtun discovered a shotgun, a hunting bag, bird call whistles, gunpowder tins, and some farming implements in the well of his field. Photo: National Archives of Malta

Pigeons, despite being private property, were also sometimes targeted. In June 1941, two sportsmen killed eight pigeons belonging to Francis Fenech, 57, from Mosta, and another three belonging to George Xerri, 30, also from Mosta. The birds were worth £3. Moreover, one of the shooters threatened Fenech and his sons Salvu and John with his shotgun when they tried to confront him.

The fact that hunters belonging to the Home Guard were allowed to carry their weapons everywhere resulted in clashes with members of the public. In July 1940, Victor Galea was inside his house in St Julian’s when he heard two shots. He walked outside to find his façade peppered with lead pellets.

A month later, Lola Francia from Lija complained that hunters were constantly shooting in the vicinity of her residence, Villa Preziosi.

In December 1941, Colonel Walter Butler had to go to the police because he kept being woken up by shooting from a field situated at Racecourse Street, Marsa. The gunfire was also scaring his horse. A constable was detailed to patrol the area to stop the inconvenience.

Children sometimes got into trouble for handling firearms

Curfew did not deter some farmers from venturing outside at night to shoot at roosting birds or wild rabbits. In April 1941, Bombardier Galea of the 8th Searchlight Battery Royal Malta Artillery was startled by two shots fired from a shotgun in a field at Rabat at 9.30pm. An hour later, two more shots echoed through the area. The police had to warn all farmers living in the vicinity that there was a war on and that venturing outside at night was strictly prohibited.

Some soldiers tried to supplement their meagre rations by shooting wild rabbits. In June 1941, Carmelo Attard Montaldo lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that soldiers from the 1st Battalion King’s Own Malta Regiment (KOMR), stationed at il-Blata, Selmun, had trespassed on his reserved land at St Paul’s Islands to hunt rabbits with their rifles.

Despite the fact that the police had their hands full during the war, they did manage to catch some poachers. For instance, in September 1941, Vincent Callus from Kirkop was found guilty of entering Luqa airfield and killing a Tawny Pipit, a protected species. As it was his first offence, the magistrate issued him a warning.

In August 1942, two RAF policemen spotted a 16-year-old youth shooting pigeons with a double-barrelled shotgun. Since the boy lacked both a hunting and firearm licence, he was handed over to the Maltese police. However, he refused to provide his details, so he was kept in a cell until he changed his mind. His shotgun was confiscated and he was fined £7.

Some sportsmen made interesting discoveries. In September 1940, Peter Borg, 58, from Birkirkara, was hunting at Iklin when he shot a nightjar and discovered that it was ringed. He delivered the bird’s leg, complete with the ring, to the police, who noted that the inscription read “Feder Caccia. COAF Roma 23786”.

In September 1940, a hunter from Birkirkara shot down a nightjar and found that it was ringed. Photo: Pixabay

Even more intriguing was the case of Giulio Briffa, who was hunting in the vicinity of Wied iż-Żurrieq when he spotted a pigeon and shot it down. Upon inspection, he found a small white metal cylinder attached to one of its legs, containing a message in Italian. Unfortunately, the police did not record its contents, but it is probable that the bird was a carrier pigeon from an Italian aircraft that had crashed into the sea. The crew likely released the bird with coordinates of their location, hoping it would reach friendly hands and lead to their rescue.

Children sometimes got into trouble for handling firearms. In September 1942, Corporal Gauci and Private Micallef of the 1st Battalion KOMR were near the White Tower in Mellieħa when a shot whizzed by their heads, narrowly missing them. The two soldiers observed two boys, aged 12 and 13, armed with shotguns. While the 12-year-old surrendered his weapon, the other youth fled and was later seen handing the firearm to his father, who promptly disappeared with it.

During interrogation, the man claimed to have discarded the gun in a field and was unable to locate it. However, he eventually gave the weapon to the police. The court confiscated both shotguns and fined the fathers £1 each, as the boys lacked hunting licences and one of the firearms was unregistered with the police. However, it was noted that the children were unaware of the soldiers’ presence when they discharged the firearm.

Hunting was a means to obtain meat in besieged Malta. Photo: William John Lazell

There were also many accidents with hunting firearms. In July 1940, Salvu Abdilla, 16, from Mqabba, was leaving his residence carrying a loaded shotgun when he slipped. The gun fired upon hitting the ground, injuring five people, one of whom required hospitalisation. Abdilla was fined £3 for the incident.

In November 1941, a 14-year-old boy from Lija attempted to climb a rubble wall while holding a sporting gun by its barrels. When the gun struck the wall, it discharged a shot, severely maiming the youth’s right hand.

Investigations revealed that the boy had taken the shotgun, which belonged to a woman, from a farmhouse. The woman stated that the boy often visited her residence to play with her children and she never realised that he had taken off with the weapon. She also insisted that she had no ammunition for the gun. Subsequently, the victim admitted to taking the shotgun without her permission and loading it with a cartridge he had found in a field.

In 1942, Carmel Farrugia, 46, from Rabat, fired a shot at some birds, and the barrel of his gun burst, injuring his hand. The same thing happened to Carmel Bugeja, aged 22, also from Rabat. During this period, gunpowder for cartridges was scarce, leading many sportsmen to obtain military cordite as a solution.

Cordite, a smokeless propellant used in World War II ammunition, was grated, mixed with gunpowder, and loaded into the cartridges. The resulting shot was more powerful and could be distinguished from normal ones by the whistling sound it produced. However, even a slight excess of cordite in the mixture could have devastating effects on both the weapon and its user.

Three sticks of cordite, most probably taken from a naval shell, that were found hidden beneath a prickly pear in Mellieħa. Cordite was grated and mixed with gunpowder to load hunting cartridges. Photo: Author’s collection

A story shared by Ninu Gauci from Mellieħa vividly illustrates this. Gauci managed to acquire some military cordite and, unaware of its strength, loaded a hunting cartridge solely with it. Peering off the top of a cliff, he flushed out a turtledove at long range, an ideal target to test his aim and the power of the shot. When he pressed the trigger, three things occurred simultaneously: the turtledove fell in a flurry of feathers, Gauci went deaf in one ear and could hear nothing but whistling for three days, and the shotgun welded solid, rendering it impossible to open again.

An ‘Acapnia’ gunpowder tin that was imported from Italy. Lack of gunpowder during the war forced many hunters to resort to military cordite. Photo: Private collection

It was, of course, illegal to obtain cordite. In September 1942, Corporal Andrews of the RAF Police arrested Felix Galea, 37, from Qormi, who was hunting in a field. Galea’s military boots caught the attention of the RAF corporal, as it was against the law for civilians to possess service clothing.

Upon further inspection, the police discovered that Galea’s cartridges contained cordite, leading to their confiscation. The hunter explained that he had found some loaded shells near the wreck of a Supermarine Spitfire in a valley at Mqabba. He had dismantled them and taken the propellant for hunting purposes. He also stated that the military boots had been lent to him by his cousin, a private of the 2nd Battalion KOMR. The police logbook does not state what action was taken against Galea.

And one cannot help but feel sorry for 79-year-old Vincent Falzon from Lija. He was hunting in a field at Tal-Mirakli at 6am when he suddenly felt the urge to urinate. He left his shotgun alongside a wall and went behind a rural room. When he returned to retrieve his weapon, it had disappeared. Despite police investigations, it was never found.

More information about wartime hunting incidents can be found in Malta War Occurrences – The Police Logbooks 1940-1942 by Jeffrey Sammut and Spuċċa l-Gemiem by Natalino Fenech.

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Joe Cutajar, John Vella, Mark Sammut, Ruben Vella and the staff at the National Archives of Malta, without whose assistance this article would not have been possible.