The Bravery, Pedestal and Beyond – A WWII Story of Shelter, Famine and Resistance

The history of the Second World War is full of epic stories and episodes of heroic resistance, sometimes against exceptional odds. Some countries, such as Malta, resisted enemy occupation on a national level. In April 1942, at the height of the blitz of Malta, King George VI awarded the George Cross to the Maltese population in recognition of their sacrifice, endurance, loyalty and resistance during the siege. In addition to the danger of being killed or injured, the Maltese civilian population faced another hardship which remained etched in the memory of those who survived the siege of Malta: the suffering caused by hunger. By October 1942, 100,000 people were queuing up for meals from the Victory Kitchen for lunch and dinner. The scarcity of food and consequent malnutrition had adverse effects on people’s health. Throughout 1942, British convoys carrying supplies to Malta faced a very hazardous journey through the Mediterranean, being almost constantly under air attack. The most famous of these was Operation Pedestal.

Join us to learn more about this remarkable episode, and the wider conflict being waged in the Mediterranean theatre. This panel discussion will bring a diverse perspective and unique approach to understanding the Maltese and British people’s experience of shelter, famine and resistance during the Second World War. It will bring to the fore the exceptional bravery of the Maltese people for which they were awarded the George Cross; will retell with historical accuracy the events which led to Operation Pedestal; and ultimately shed more light on the civilian experience in both countries throughout the turbulent years of conflict between 1939 and 1945. Featuring leading interdisciplinary experts from across King’s College London, the panellists are well-placed to draw similarities between the experiences of the armed forces and civilian members of the population, both in Malta and the UK.

The event will open with a welcome from the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Malta and incumbent chair of the OSCE, Mr Ian Borg, followed by Mr Keith Gatt from Heritage Malta and coordinating curator at the Maritime Museum.

The panel will then be moderated by Dr Hillary Briffa, Lecturer in National Security Studies and the Assistant Director of the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College London.

Speakers:

Prof Sir Simon Wessely – is a psychiatrist and epidemiologist, and the first Regius Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. With 850 publications under his name, Sir Wessely specializes in research in unexplained syndromes, military health, epidemiology and clinical trials. Professor Wessely has a long-standing interest in how people and populations react to adversity, particularly London during the Blitz. He has obtained Maltese citizenship through marriage to Maltese national Professor Dame Clare Gerada. He will focus on the civilian resistance aspect of this period.

Prof Andrew Lambert - is Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King's College. After completing research in the Department he taught at Bristol Polytechnic,(now the University of West of England), the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and also Director of the Laughton Naval Unit housed in the Department. In 2020 he was made a Fellow of Kings College London (FKC). His work focuses on the naval and strategic history of the British Empire between the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War, and the early development of naval historical writing. He will discuss the naval relationship between the UK and Malta during this period, and the significance of Operation Pedestal.

Prof Niall Barr – is a distinguished scholar and Head of the Defence Studies Department at King’s, whose expertise extends from the Anglo-American alliance to the Scottish military tradition. Educated at the University of St Andrews and having taught at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Dr Barr brings a unique perspective to the Malta-UK connection in WWII. His ongoing research delves into the often-overlooked aspects of wartime food and logistics across the First and Second World Wars, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean. Dr Niall Barr will situate the importance wartime Malta within the wider context of the Mediterranean theatre. Through his expertise, we can also gain a profound understanding of the critical role played by food, logistics, and the resilience of civilians during this pivotal period in history.

The event will take place in the Weston Room of the Maughan Library, on Chancery Lane. The staff of King’s College London and the Malta High Commission will facilitate access and seating. At the end of the Q&A, a networking reception will be held in the same venue, with some refreshments provided.

At the beginning of the evening, a 3-minute film curated by Heritage Malta will be shown on the main screen. The footage draws on the ‘WWII Experience – Shelter – Famine – Resistance’ exhibition which was held at the Valletta Underground Shelters from 17 – 30 November 2022.

This event is the result of collaboration between the Centre for Defence Studies and the Centre for Grand Strategy at King’s College London, the Malta High Commission London and Heritage Malta, and the Cultural Diplomacy Unit, MFET, which has arisen from their successful project Shelter, Famine, Resistance held in Malta 2021.

Photo: © IWM GM 1480