Christmas Under Fire

The card shown here represents the end of Christmas under fire: it was sent from Malta in December 1942, after the siege of the island was finally broken. It was sent to 'Absent Friend' Mr Smith in Britain, from the 13th Battery Royal Artillery. It shows the rather unusual Christmas symbol of an anti-aircraft gun and crew.

The siege of Malta lasted from 1940 to 1942. The strategic position of the island - a British possesion since 1800 - had long been key in the Mediterranean theatre of war. It was the only British base between Gibraltar and Alexandria in Egypt.

However, by 1940 Malta was under-resourced in terms of military equipment and food stocks, as the Royal Navy had moved its regional headquarters to Alexandria. Italy entered the war on 11 June 1940, and almost immediately began a bombing campaign against Malta.

There were over 3,000 Italian and German raids between 1940 and 1942, and it is reckoned that during the first six months of 1942 Malta only enjoyed one 24-hour period without bombing.

At the height of the siege it has been said that foods were rationed to three boiled sweets, half a sardine and a spoonful of jam a day. Over 1,400 civilians lost their lives during the siege.

King George VI awarded the entire island the George Cross (the highest civilian award for gallantry) in April 1942. In a small way, the fact that this Christmas card was even produced after two years of deprivation demonstrates the supreme fortitude of the Maltese people.

President Franklin Roosevelt, describing the wartime period, called Malta 'one tiny bright flame in the darkness.'

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