In June 1940, there were no armoured vehicles on the island except for Universal carriers, or as they are better known, Bren Gun Carriers. The Maltese landscape, with its narrow country lanes, countless rubble walls and rocky terrain, was hardly ideal for these tracked vehicles.

There was also the fact that their Ford VIII engines guzzled what scarce supplies of petrol were available. Their soft skins were vulnerable to anything but small arms. Despite this, the troops had to do with what was available, and Bren Gun Carriers were used by infantry units to carry ammunition, for training and during manoeuvres.

War was hardly a month old when Bartolomeo Sammut, 36, of Naxxar, complained that soldiers of an unknown regiment had occupied his field, situated at it-Turba, l/o of Mosta, and with their Bren Gun Carriers caused damages to his carob trees, demolished rubble walls and then built walls in different parts of his fields. He wanted £10 compensation.

Cruiser tanks being unloaded from a ship in the Grand Harbour in January 1942. Photo: Wikipedia

In August 1940, Paul Vella, 41, of Mellieħa, reported that the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers entered his field at ir-Ramla tal-Bir with Universal carriers. Their tracks churned up the rural lanes, wrecked walls and flattened vines that were full of ripening grapes.

There were also road accidents. On October 20, 1940, a member of the Royal Irish Fusiliers was reversing Bren Gun Carrier No. 7099 when he hit and pulled down a small portion of the parapet wall of Jubilee Esplanade, Mġarr, causing 10/- worth of damages.

Bren Gun Carrier No. 7099 pulled down a small portion of the parapet wall of Jubilee Esplanade, Mġarr. Photo: Peter Szaak and The King’s Own Malta Regiment Association

Another mishap that could have had much more serious consequences occurred three days later in Sliema. Corporal C. Whitlock of the 2nd Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment was driving Bren Gun Carrier No. 7078 through Sliema Wharf and when he turned towards Tower Road, the tracks lost grip on the road. The carrier skidded, mounted the pavement and hit a pram in which there was an eight-month-old baby, Charlie Mifsud. The frantic mother, Josephine, picked up her child from the street. A doctor certified that the boy was only suffering from bruises on his forehead. The boy’s father, Felix Mifsud, of no. 141, Rue D’Argens, Gżira, asked the police to take no action against the armoured vehicle’s driver.

In May 1941, Bren Gun Carrier HMH 317, driven by Staff Sergeant George Everidge of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, also skidded in Sliema, crashing into a motor van that was parked on the side of the road. The van was taken to the R.O.A.C. workshop to be repaired.

Animals pulling carts, omnibuses and cabs sometimes came face to face with these steel monsters. In July 1941, Anthony Borg, 58, of Sliema, was driving his cart through Valley Road, Birkirkara, towards Balzan, when three “armoured cars” darted past in the opposite direction. His horse shied and dashed into a bicycle ridden by Edward Galea, 39, of Lija. Galea was unhurt but his bicycle was badly damaged.

Two armoured vehicles stationed in Malta painted in stone camouflage. One is Vickers Light Tank Mark VI T5878 and the other is Matilda Mark II ‘Griffin’. Photo: https://forum.warthunder.com/

On October 1, 1941, Lance Sergeant Ronald Francis Scott of the 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment was driving Universal Carrier No. 7717 through High Street, Gudja, when he hit Josephine Abela, 24, who at the time was chatting with Ċensa Zammit and her daughter Catherine. Assistant District Medical Officer Dr L. Buttigieg stated that Abela was only suffering from slight injuries. It turned out that Lance Sergeant Scott was still learning to drive the Bren Gun Carrier and had passed too close to the side of the street.

The next day, Rita Baldacchino, 25, of Żejtun, and John Maria Galdes, 54, of Gudja, reported that Bren Gun Carriers had damaged their doorsteps and pavements. Investigations by the police concluded that Galdes’s pavement had been crushed by Private Percival Blake in Vehicle No. 7713. On October 8, Pvt. George Carter of the 4th Battalion Royal East Kent Regiment was driving Carrier 7992 when he hit the cart of Gaetano Deguara, 42, of Mtaħleb, and damaged two wheel spokes.

The carrier skidded, mounted the pavement and hit a pram in which there was an eight-month-old baby, Charlie Mifsud

Two days later, learner driver W. Nesbitt of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers was manoeuvring Bren Gun Carrier No. 7075 through Eucharistic Congress Street, Mosta, when he crashed into a parked bus belonging to Andrew Camilleri, wrecking its rear bumper. Nesbitt promised to make good the damages.

The British decided to reenforce the island with tanks. Four Mark II Matildas and two Vickers Light Tanks Mark VI arrived in Malta on November 28, 1940, on board two fast merchant ships, the Clan Fraser and the Clan Forbes. The No.1 Independent Tank Troop, later called the Malta Tank Troop, was billeted in a disused ice-cream factory in Birkirkara.

A Matilda Mk II towing a crashed Bristol Beaufort on one of Malta’s airfields. Photo: Wikipedia

During the first few months on the island, the tanks were driven around to raise the morale of the population but fuel shortages soon put an end to this. In January 1942, three A13 and four A9 Cruiser tanks, together with another Light Tank Mark VI, reached Malta. These were deployed in the woods near Verdala Palace and amalgamated with the Malta Tank Troop to form the Malta Tanks.

There are several police reports of damages caused by these tanks. In January 1941, Grezzju Azzopardi of 33, Ħas-Sajjied Street, Birkirkara, complained that a tank belonging to the Royal Tank Corps stationed in Fleur de Lys Road, Birkirkara, broke the mosaic threshold in front of his residence and caused him about 15/- in damages. When questioned, Capt. Drury, the officer in charge of the Tank Corps, stated that several tanks had passed through that road at the given time and he requested the police to send him a written report so the matter would be investigated and compensation issued.

Luigi Zammit, 42, caught sight of a Matilda Mk II ‘Griffin’ damaging the corner of his house in St Paul Street, Safi. Photo: Wikipedia

On July 10, 1941, Luigi Zammit, 42, caught sight of a Matilda Mark II hitting the corner of his house at St Paul Street, Safi. The driver kept going but Zammit managed to catch sight of the name that was painted on the side of the tank: ‘Griffin’. The culprit was identified as Lance Corporal Hings of the Malta Tank Troop, stationed at St Francis Ravelin, Floriana. That same day, Joseph Farrugia of Żurrieq found his stable damaged. Investigations again proved that the wrongdoer was the driver of another armoured tank.

Armoured vehicle drivers were not always to blame for accidents. Sergeant F. David, driver of light tank No. 5869, was turning into Notary Zarb Street, Attard, when found himself on a collision course with a bicycle ridden by an unknown civilian. In order to prevent an accident, he swerved and crashed into two trees and two stone pillars, causing £3 in damages. The cyclist did not stop and was never identified.

In February 1942, a suspicious individual was caught trying to enter the Verdala compound where the tanks were stationed. Photo: Wikipedia

In February 1942, a strange incident occurred when a man was caught trying to enter the Verdala compound where tanks were stationed. When questioned, he claimed to be a member of the CID, which immediately raised eyebrows since he was actually an employee of the Water Works Department. He was taken to the Rabat police station on suspicion of being a spy. A background check showed that he was pro-British, although he came from a family that before the war had supported the pro-Italian Nationalist Party.

It turned out that the man was about to be conscripted and in order to avoid joining the army, he had decided to join the Police Force instead. It seems that while he was trying to explain this to the servicemen, he was misunderstood and they thought that he was claiming that he was already a member of the force. His residence was then combed but nothing incriminating was found. He was finally released by the Rabat police after 24 hours at the station.

There was also theft from armoured vehicles. In May 1941, Captain Drury reported that four magazines containing 20 rounds of machine gun ammunition each, were stolen from the Malta Tank Troop Centre in Birkirkara. Two boys from Birkirkara, aged 12 and 14, were charged with the theft and fined 10/- each.

The crew of a Vickers Mk VI Light Tank servicing one of the Vickers Machine Guns. Photo: Wikipedia

Universal carriers parked in fields were also a temptation for some. On May 8, 1942, Sgt Haywood of the Devonshire H.Q. Company noted that a grey tarpaulin covering a carrier in a field at Għaxaq had disappeared. Just 10 days later, a black canvas cover was also stolen. Then, on May 30, Pvt. Harrell spotted a boy taking two blankets from one of the carriers and putting them in a sack. When challenged, the thief dropped everything and ran away. The thefts from the 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment carriers then stopped.

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Ruben Vella and the staff of the National Archives, without whose assistance this article would not have been possible.

This is the second of a series of articles to be published over the coming months in The Sunday Times of Malta. They are adapted from the book Malta War Occurrences – The Police Logbooks 1940-1942, written by Jeffrey Sammut and which is to be published soon by BDL books.