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52 Feature THE SUNDAY TIMES I October 4, 2009 53 A Maltese seaman on a Polish submarine Alfred Conti Borda The Maltese have always had close links with the Royal Navy, 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 destroyer 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 Gibraltar, 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 cruiser 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 Malta the ard on Cossack, was washed over- to Norway 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 battleship 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 destroyers 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 cruisers 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 Mediterranean Sea. 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.
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