Life and Wellbeing History~

44 \ APRIL 5, 2020 THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA APRIL 5, 2020 I 45 LIFE AND WELLBEING HISTORY~ Missing in action .....'-, .. .,_ most popular heavy cruisers Ghana, the Cornwall intercepted ship. The raider signalled that it among Maltese seame'n, HMS the Vichy French cruiser was the Tamerlane but when its =i . ' ALFRED Sussex, up to December 25, 1939. Primaguet and the Leninger on disguise was exposed, it dis CONTI Britain was ill-prepared for their way to Libreville, central closed itself as the Pinguin and BORDA hostilities but as Phoney War set Africa. The French ships were opened fire. in, the country and its dominions stopped and, after some hag-. After being hit by a salvo of Australia, Canada, New gling, their captain was pre eight shells in the mine-laying Zealand, South Africa, India and vailed upon to return to magazine, the German ship blew On Easter Sup.day, April 5, 1942, Pakistan - braced for war. Casablanca,:Morocco. up and sank. Carmelo helped res many British and Maltese sea Carmelo was due to return home On September 28, Cornwall left cue 58 German and 25 B1itish men died when the British to be pensioneil off, and on Freetown, Si~ra Leone, fo1· prisoner-of-war s\ll'vivm·s from cruiser HMS Cornwall sank in December27, 1939, togetherwith Douala in Cameroun to prevent the Pinguin, some of whom died the Indian Ocean after a Japan other Maltese seamen he was any interference by the Vichy later due to their injuries. A total ese air attack. This is the story transferred to the heavy cruiser French with the expedition of the of 341 German seamen died in of one who unfortunately didn't HMS Cornwall, which was sail for Free French troops under cluding the captain and about 200 make it. Malta.sometime. Carmelo was 41 General Charles de Gaulle which were held as prisoners-of-war. Carmelo Bonnici was born in at ·the time and was looking had attempted to land at Dakar, After minor repairs in Simon Valletta to Carmelo Bonnici and forward to see his family; how west Africa. It continued with stown, Cornwall returned as an Concetta nee Vella both from Val ever fate dictated otherwise. convoy escort duties from the UK escort for troop convoys until letta, on July 23, 1896. The young until the end of the year when she March 1942 when it was at Carmelo attended the city's arrived at Simonstown, South tached to the Fourth Cruiser elementary school and later on "Carmelo hesitated Africa, for a refit. Squadron of the newly formed took up the hairdressing trade. to jump... He did It sailed again on February 28, Eastern Fleet, which also in After World War I, demobilised 1941, for the South Atlantic, cluded the cruiser HMS Dorset servicemen returned home but not know how to intercepting the Vichy French shire. At the beginning of April, work was very hard to come by. vessel Ville de Majungawith 600 two strong Japanese forces Cannelo Bonnici as a young officer's steward (standing, first As Carmelo was struggling to swim. He preferred troops on board, about 450 miles began operating in the Indian from left) and Eliseo Borg from ffamrun (standing, right) make ends meet, he enlisted in to stay on board west of Cape Town, South Africa. Ocean off the south coast of The County Class cruiser HMS Cornwall. with unidentified colleagues on HMS Iron Duke in 1920-21. the Royal Navy as an officer's An armed guard was placed on Ceylon (Sri Lanka) with plans to steward at HMS St Angelo on and retreated into board and the ship was taken attack Colombo. March 25, 1919. Carmelo was to Simonstown. Carmelo was On Easter Sunday, April 5, including Antonio Fenech Conti · but continued to direct opera Sharks were numerous but posted in various Royal Navy sta the ~hip" one of the seamen ordered to 1942, Cornwall and Dorsetshire and a certain Buhagiar, scram tions. In true naval tradition he these seemed content to wait for tions/ships, including HMS watch over the enemy person were steaming at 27.5 knots, bled for the railings to jump was leaving the ship just before the corpses which from time to Egmont in 1926 and later Pem During 1940, HMS Cornwall nel. This was quite a different when they sighted the first overboard. They plunged into the end. By that time the ship's time were committed to the sea broke, Concorde, Iron Duke, was deployed on convoy escort job from hairdressing. Japanese aircraft at 11am from the sea, sm·faced and grabbed list was acute. As the captain let and the predators made no Marlborough and Gre~nwich. and patrol duties in the South On May 7, 1941, following a right astern low down on the some flotsam floating by. go of the starboard guard-rail, attempt to molest anyone living. On March 6, 1931, he was trans Atlantic and, on one occasion, distress message from the horizon. The plane disappeared Carmelo hesitated to jump he slid and rolled down the Among the survivors were ferred to the heavy cruiser HMS escorted a large and important tanker British Emperor in the after a few minutes. At noon though he was encouraged by his ship's side amid encouragement Eddie Buhagiar from Valletta, London and was promoted to convoy from the UK to the Middle south Atlantic, Cornwall was de another one turned up, an colleagues yelling at the top of from the men. It was rather a leading steward Antonio Fenech leading steward. This would be East and India. During wartime, tailed to search for a German unmistakable 'shadower'. their voice. But his reply was that cruel touch of fate that he had to Conti and a certain Schembri, the vessel on which he was to all hands, whatever their trade, raider. At 2am the next day, the Captain A.W.S. Agar of HMS he did not know how to swim. He abandon the ship only a few days both from Sliema. They re serve longest, leaving the· ship profession or grade, would either raider was sighted by the Dorsetshire recalled the last preferred to stay on board and before his 50th birthday. mained in the water for 32 hours reluctantly on November 8, 1935, be training for battle or be on cruiser's aircraft some 65 miles few dramatic moments of this retreated into the ship. Twelve minutes after the at before being rescued. Then a and posted onshore at HMS St standby ready for action. away, north of the Seychelles is unforgettable episode: Shortly A survivor named Mr Fuller tack, the cruiser, with its colours-· plane appeared. Friend or foe? Angelo. On September 29, 1936, On September 19, 1940, while lands. Cornwall eventually came before 1pm, Japanese dive testified that the seamen in the still flying, went down head-first There was great excitement and he was transferred to one of the on patrol off Cape Three Points, within range and challenged the bombers appeared in the sky sea were subjected to machine- and its stern came right out of apprehension, and at about directly overhead and attacked . gun fire from the many Japanese the water, tilting at about 30 6pm,just as light was starting to down sun. The force included a planes flying around. Bearing in degrees as it took its final plunge fail, three ships were seen; they considerable 50+ planes, and mind the need t9 avoid the into the Indian Ocean, which was were British. The survivors were HMS Cornwall and Dorsetshire suction of the sinking ship, they about a mile deep in that area. It picked up by boats from the were their targets. swam or paddled quickly to get is hard to believe but he heard a cruiser Enterprise and destroy This last photo of Cannelo All the Maltese crew, includ away as far as possible from the faint cheer as the survivors, ers Paladin and Panther. Bonnici on HMS Cornwall was ing Carmelo, helped load the doomed vessel. spread along a line about a mile The surviving :Maltese are A Japanese torpedo bomber veers to port prior to attacking taken on Easter Sunday, April · anti-aircraft guns on the Corn Only about eight minutes after long, watched it all happen. depicted in a painting by Guido Allied ships in the South Pacific. 5, 19~2. wall. Both ships, lacking air the first bomber dived on it, It must have been terrifying Lanfranco, hanging for dear life cover, took up defensive posi Dorsetshire disappeared, taking chaos with the inside of the huge on some broken wood from the tions, turning under full helm with it over 200 of the ship's ship in a turmoil as her stern lifted ship. This painting hangs in the steward Paul Portanier, 28, of PoBtBcrlpt which included swallowing con to confuse the aim ofthe Japan crew. Eyewitnesses related a and it went down into the depths sacristy of Our Lady of the Hamrun, leading steward Following the recent publica taminated seawater, stress and ese dive-bombers. The cruisers story about a seaman in the of the ocean. The agonising suffer Sacred Heart Church (Sacro Giuseppe Sammut, 39, and.lead tion of my war books, Martha the anxiety of the tragedy, he tried to keep the dive-bombers Dorsetshirewho would not leave ing, both mental and physical, Cuor) in Sliema, to whom Anto ing cook Louis Valletta. (or Sophie) Valletta informed became a diabetic, fol~Qwed by high with their anti-aircraft the mess deck because he could endured by the men who are nio Fenech Conti and Schembri The six Maltese seamen who me that her father, Dominic severe jaundice.

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