52 Feature THE SUNDAY TIMES I October 4, 2009 53 A Maltese seaman on a Polish

Alfred Conti Borda

The Maltese have always had close links with the , with many serving on board ships in times of war and peace. Officers’ Steward Paul Camilleri not only served on British warships but had the added distinction of being the only Maltese to be a member of the crew of the Polish submarine Sokol during World War II. Camilleri was born in 1921 in Rabat, where he attended the gov- ernment primary school. In the early 1930s he worked as a bar attendant at the former Għajn Tuffieħa Hotel. On June 22, 1939, he voluntarily joined the Royal Navy as assistant steward on HMS St The HMS Cossack steaming out of Grand Harbour in 1939. Angelo, following the example of a number of his relatives who had enlisted in the Royal Navy before him. On September 1, Germany invaded Poland, and two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany. On November 1, Camilleri and eight other Maltese joined the destroyer HMS Cossack. The ship left for Portland in England for a refit and then proceeded to the North Sea to protect Allied convoys in the Atlantic. However, on the first night, as a blanket of shrouded the sea, Cos- sack collided with a merchant ship A bearded Paul Camilleri while serving on the Polish submarine and five of the destoryer’s seamen Sokol in 1942. were killed. Consequently, Cossack had to return to the dock for repairs. Sokol at , homeward-bound, proudly displaying the Jolly Roger. The stripes denote sunk HMS Volage, minus her bow, after hitting a mine in the Corfu Back on patrol, the destroyer enemy supply ships, the stars gunfire combats, the crossed cannon enemy ships sunk by cannon fire, channel near Albania, being towed by the HMS Leander on escorted convoys to Britain. On one the crossed sabres boarding of enemy ships and the grating, the forcing of a net barrier. The cruiser HMS Defender in full regalia for a special occasion in 1957. October 22, 1946. occasion, due to very heavy seas, the convoy lost some merchant- refloated on the tide. In October dispatches for his distinguished ser- that it would be the Tirpitz hiding in boats, trawlers, schooners and men; a certain Joseph Aquilina 1940, the flotilla, including Cossack, vice while serving on HMS Cossack. the Norwegian fjords. troopships. from Floriana, the captain’s stew- intercepted a German convoy close The Polish ensign had been In December 1942, the Sokol was Back at the dock in the ard on Cossack, was washed over- to and sank all three mer- raised on January 19, 1941, on the deployed for patrol off Bear Island Sokol was again subjected to heavy board by a huge wave and never chant ships and two escorting British U-class submarine HMS to provide support for the safe pas- bombardment by enemy planes. A seen again. sloops. Cossack was also involved Urchin and renamed Sokol under sage of Russian convoys to Kola Polish navy officer living in Brighton At the beginning of February in the 3,000-mile chase of the Ger- the command of the Polish Captain Inlet. Enemy patrols were also Flats in Sliema sent Camilleri on an 1940, off Norway, Cossack, with man Bismarck in the Boris Karnicki. Camilleri made constantly hindering the Allied errand. In the meantime the Luft- Captain Vian at the helm, received Atlantic. many friends among the Polish sea- convoys. waffe carried out a raid. When a direct signal from the Admiralty to On June 22, 1941, Camilleri was men and was invited to join the Camilleri described one typical Camilleri returned he found that intercept a convoy of four enemy promoted to steward and a month Sokol. Capt. Karnicki passed a word Arctic action during a moonlit the flats had been flattened by a ships which included the infamous later Cossack escorted convoys to to Capt. G.W.G. Simpson, the com- night. The klaxon sounded, mean- bomb blast. prison ship, the Altmark. This ship Malta. The ship was attacked by the manding officer of HMS Talbot at ing Action Stations, and every man Life on a submarine was topsy- had taken about 300 prisoners-of- Luftwaffe as she was approaching Lazzaretto, Gżira, who allowed ran to his post. The Sokol, which turvy. Since the submarine was war, including one Maltese, after Camilleri to serve as steward on the had been charging its batteries on underwater during the day, a night Steward Paul Camilleri (right) with an unidentified British the German battleship Graf Spee Polish submarine. This had been the surface, dived at once. Capt. schedule was observed, but when colleague on HMS Cossack in 1940. had sunk nine British merchant- “Camilleri came damaged in the blitz on Malta and Karnicki put up the periscope and she surfaced at night, a morning men and had transferred some of was leaving for Gibraltar for repairs identified an enemy ship. Four tor- timetable was followed, with break- their seamen to the Altmark. ashore on leave and because these could not be carried pedoes were fired, hitting the tar- fast being served at 7 p.m. Cossack succeeded to locate the did not rejoin out on the island. get. There was no time to check On a patrol off Greece, Sokol Altmark and shadowed her prey. Camilleri was glad to leave as he whether the ship had sunk as the encountered a minefield so she The cruiser HMS Orion leaving Grand Harbour on January 1, 1946. On February 16, seamen from the Cossack. A few felt safer away from Lazzaretto since captain saw an anti-submarine ves- dived underneath it. Up periscope! destroyer boarded Altmark in the it was being targeted by the Luft- sel closing fast on its quarry and The captain caught sight of a col- Sokol returned to Malta on Fortunately there was no damage and towed Saumarez. In so doing and he joined the hotel and cater- Jossing fjord in Norway after avoid- months later she waffe. In fact, the British sub- Sokol had to make a quick getaway. umn of smoke on the horizon. It March 17, 1943. Camilleri to the ships or any casualties. she too struck a mine at 4.15 p.m. ing industry. He worked as head ing coastguard ships of then neutral was torpedoed and marines were either spending their Depth charges were fired at the was an enemy troopship also car- remained on the island, attached On July 16, 1946, Camilleri was Both lost their bows. barman at the Dragonara Hotel Norway. In the ensuing scuffle time submerged in Grand Harbour approximate position of the sub- rying trucks and tanks. The Sokol to the submarine base Talbot and transferred to the light cruiser Bad weather made towing by the and Casino and later at the Grand seven members of Altmark’s crew sank in the to avoid being bombed or other- marine. The crew on board the stalked her and then fired two tor- then to Medway II as spare crew HMS Leander. On October 22, a difficult. So the damaged Hotel Verdala in Rabat. were killed and all the British POWs Atlantic” wise repaired as soon as possible, Sokol did not utter a word or make pedoes. Two explosions were heard steward. He was sorry to leave the Royal Navy flotilla made up of the ships had to sail stern first as best In 1980, through his connection were freed, returning to Scotland on leaving immediately to patrol the a sound, so as not to betray their and the crew cheered. Sokol and her crew as he had made cruiser HMS Mauritius, Leander as they could. Camilleri was safe, with the Polish Navy in the war, Cossack. It was a triumph for the . whereabouts. There was nothing The enemy ship sank, but escort- many friends among them who and the destroyers Saumarez and but 44 seamen, including at least Camilleri received a diploma and Royal Navy in the old traditional On November 21, 1942, Camilleri they could do except wait for the ing enemy motor torpedo boats also taught him Polish. He was one Maltese, were killed, while 42 a Cross of Freedom from the Pol- way of boarding enemy ships. the island. Camilleri came ashore finally sailed on the Sokol, which explosion of the depth charges. One sped towards Sokol, which dived later drafted to HMS St Angelo for were injured in the incident. ish Government-in-exile in Kenil- The destroyer HMS Saumarez down by the bow after being mined Hitler invaded Norway on April on leave and did not rejoin Cossack had a crew of 32 Polish seamen, muffled sound was followed by deeper and deeper. Depth charges general service and promoted to “Sokol dived Camilleri again served on St worth Road, London. The award in the Corfu channel incident. 9, 1940. Shortly afterwards, Cossack and she left within two hours. A few three British and, of course, a Mal- another and still another. However, were fired. A muffled explosion was Leading Steward on June 1, 1945. Angelo several times, and on was for outstanding action during participated in the second Battle of months later, on October 24, she tese. The journey to Gibraltar took the receding noise of the enemy heard in the distance, another and On October 8 that year he joined deeper and deeper. August 15, 1951, he was promoted the war. Narvik in which British destroyers was torpedoed by U-563 while 14 days since only one battery out boat’s propellers meant that the still another. There seemed to be no the light cruiser HMS Orion with Depth charges were Petty Officer Steward and trans- In 1944, Camilleri met his sweet- supported by the battleship War- escorting a convoy from Gibraltar of two was functioning for travelling danger had passed. end to these. There was nothing to 15 Cruiser Squadron Mediter- ferred to the destroyer HMS heart Domitilda Busuttil from Vit- spite sank eight German destroyers to UK and sank in the Atlantic west submerged, with the other having Later, the submarine returned to do except wait and pray. ranean Fleet. At that time there fired. There was Defender. He was promoted Chief toriosa and they were married and a U-boat. During the battle, of Gibraltar three days later; 159 of been damaged during enemy Malta and was based at Lazzaretto One explosion put out the light, was tension between Britain and Petty Officer on October 16, 1960. soon after. They had four children Cossack was damaged and a fire her crew were lost. Camilleri was attack on Lazzaretto. Travelling again. Its patrol area included Italy, which was repaired in no time; the Albania, which had come under nothing to do His last ship in the Royal Navy was – Amy, Laurence, Doris and Mari- raged near the bridge. indeed lucky and hastened to Zab- underwater during the morning Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Yugosla- next one rattled the pipes and with Communist rule. The first incident except wait and the submarine depot ship HMS anne. Camilleri’s action station was in bar to thank Our Lady of Graces, to was safer, as detection by the via, Greece, Turkey and the whole the other, water started pouring in. was on May 15, 1946, when Orion, Ausonia berthed at Manoel Island. Throughout his career in the the fore shell room where most of whom he was greatly devoted. enemy was more difficult. of the North African coast. The crew immediately sealed the on which Camilleri was serving, in pray” He was pensioned off at the Royal Royal Navy, Camilleri gained 12 the damage was. One enemy shell When his leave was over, Camil- Later, the Sokol made for Scot- Though Camilleri was a steward, holes. They could hear the turning the company of HMS Superb, Navy Station Hal Far on June 21, campaign stars and medals which pierced the side of the destroyer leri worked on HMS St Angelo for land for a general refit and then left he also undertook duties as a shell propellers of the enemy MTBs over crossed the Corfu channel before 1964. he donated to Philip Vella, secre- and went out through the other some time and was then transferred for two patrols in the Arctic Sea. The operator for the submarine’sthree- their heads. Camilleri counted 45 inspecting and clearing the straits Volage, was ordered northwards Since Camilleri was still 43 years tary of the War Museum Associa- without exploding. The destroyer to the submarine base HMS Talbot. objective was to look for a German inch cannon, handling shells and explosions. All hell broke loose for magnetic mines. In so doing through the Corfu Channel. Just old, he had to continue earning a tion, on March 18, 1985. Camilleri was grounded and had to remain a During this time he was informed battleship which had taken refuge passing them to the top to fire at that day, but they lived to tell the they came under fire from an before 3 p.m. Saumarez struck a living. The trade he had learned in passed peacefully away on April 29 night in Narvik fjord until she was that he had been mentioned in in an enemy port. It later transpired enemy vessels, including cargo tale. Albanian coastal fortification. mine. Volage raced to her rescue the navy stood him in good stead this year, aged 88. The Polish submarine Sokol (ex-HMS Urchin) in 1943.