MALTA’S SP Image: RAF Benevolent Fund British fighter pilot Allan Scott DFM reveals how he survived the most bombed place of WWII while flying one of the most iconic aircraft in aviation history escribed by Winston Churchill as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier”, the Mediterranean island of Malta endured an excruciating, sustained bombing campaign during 1940-42. A strategically vital fortress, Malta was virtually obliterated by German and Italian aircraft but it was successfully defended by a dogged garrison who held out against overwhelming odds. One of the keys to this achievement was the presence of RAF Spitfires on the island. Although their pilots were heavily outnumbered, they shot down hundreds of Axis aircraft disproportionate to their numbers. This was no accident because the fliers were largely seasoned fighters who had cut their teeth defending the United Kingdom from invasion. Among them was Allan Scott, an experienced airman who had already shot D 44 down a German aircraft during the closing stages of the Battle of Britain. Scott flew at the Siege of Malta during its final and most intense months in 1942 and in this time he shot down five enemy aircraft. Ultimately credited with six confirmed aerial victories during WWII, he is the last surviving ‘ace’ of Malta. Now aged 98, his story is a vivid recollection of ferocious dogfights, constant bombardments, gruelling privations and an enduring affection for the iconic Spitfire. “It fitted you like a glove” Born in 1921, Scott became “hooked” on flying at the age of ten when his father booked him a ride on a De Havilland Fox Moth, “The Alan Cobham Flying Circus came to Southport Sands and I went with my dad. A lot of people were still wary of flying in the 1930s and I was really keen. I said to my dad that I’d like to fly with them and that’s what I did for just half a crown! From that day onwards the seed was sown and I knew I was going to be a pilot.” Scott’s ambition never wavered and he joined the RAF in early 1940 at the age of just 18, “You first went through a selection board where you’d be passed as aircrew. Then you’d be passed to become a fighter pilot, bomber pilot, observer etc. I always felt that I’d be a fighter pilot because that was my nature and it turned out that I was picked.” While Western Europe fell to the Nazis and the Battle of Britain raged over the skies of England, Scott was training on the Miles Magister monoplane and then the Hawker Hurricane. His education was swift due to the RAF’s demand for qualified fliers, “Once you flew solo that’s when you got your ‘wings’. They were short of pilots in 1940 because of the Battle of Britain so they rushed you through training as fast as Image: Alamy Inset, far left: Scott pictured shortly before taking off in a Spitfire for a flight to commemorate the centenary of the RAF, 1 April 2018 MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE PITFIRE ACE WORDS TOM GARNER Image: Allan Scott “ALTHOUGH THEIR PILOTS WERE HEAVILY OUTNUMBERED, THEY SHOT DOWN HUNDREDS OF AXIS AIRCRAFT DISPROPORTIONATE TO THEIR NUMBERS” A Flight, 124 Squadron pose in front of a Spitfire at RAF Biggin Hill. Scott is third from the right An artist’s impression of 15 September 1940 during the Battle of Britain. Scott, himself a veteran of the battle, would have encountered similar dogfights over Malta. He understatedly describes these chaotic scenes as “a bit of a dicey do” 45 THE DECORATED ISLAND For its resilience against Axis attacks, King George VI awarded Malta the civilian equivalent of the Victoria Cross The George Cross was instituted by George VI on 24 September 1940 to replace the Empire Gallantry Medal. It is the second highest award in the United Kingdom’s honours system and is awarded “for acts of heroism or for most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger”. Both civilians and military personnel can receive the award for bravery that is not in the presence of the enemy and in 1942 a special case was made for the island of Malta. On 15 April 1942, George VI awarded the George Cross to Malta in a letter to the island’s governor, Lieutenant General Sir William Dobbie. He wrote in the handwritten letter, “To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history.” Dobbie subsequently replied, “By God’s help Malta will not weaken but will endure until victory is won.” Due to the siege, the formal presentation of the award was delayed until 13 September 1942. It was presented to the people and garrison at a ceremony at the Palace Square in Valetta. The George Cross was then incorporated into the islands’ flag in 1943 and remains on the official flag of the Republic of Malta. The medal and the king’s letter are now displayed in the National War Museum at Fort Saint Elmo, Valetta. Although the George Cross was collectively presented to Malta it was also individually awarded to Captain Dudley Mason, the master of the oil tanker SS Ohio during Operation Pedestal Image: Alamy MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE Image: Alamy “TO HONOUR HER BRAVE PEOPLE I AWARD THE GEORGE CROSS TO THE ISLAND FORTRESS OF MALTA TO BEAR WITNESS TO A HEROISM AND DEVOTION THAT WILL LONG BE FAMOUS IN HISTORY” – George VI Image: Alamy Image: Alamy Right: Two soldiers guard the George Cross and George VI’s letter during their ceremonial presentation in Valetta, 13 September 1942 Below: Children pictured in the damaged streets of Malta during the siege Image: Alamy Above: A cargo ship enters the Grand Harbour of Valetta under a heavy aerial bombardment 46 Image: Alamy MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE Battle of Britain Although the heaviest period of aerial fighting during the Battle of Britain was officially during July-October 1940, clashes between RAF and Luftwaffe aircraft over British skies continued throughout the following year. It was under these circumstances that Scott was posted as a Spitfire sergeant pilot to 124 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill in early 1941. Located in the Greater London borough of Bromley, Biggin Hill was one of the principal fighter bases that protected the approaches to the capital and south east England. During WWII, its fighters claimed a total of approximately 1,400 enemy aircraft and the base lost over 450 of its aircrew. Scott recalls, “The Battle of Britain was still going on of course in early 1941. Although it was at the tail end there were still losses.” In April 1941 alone, 124 Squadron lost nine pilots. During this time, King George VI visited Biggin Hill. Scott, who was photographed shaking hands with him, greatly admired the British monarch, “He came down to the airfield while we were going out on sorties. He took an interest in us and was so kind and considerate. He was a wonderful king, an absolutely marvellous guy.” While serving with 124 Squadron, Scott achieved his first aerial victory over the Essex coast, “It was a Junkers Ju 88 that was trying to escape out of Clacton-on-Sea. I spotted the aircraft and clobbered him. It was a thrill because I was only 19.” Despite the exhilaration, Scott was pleased that the enemy crew survived, “They managed to bail out and I’m always glad of that. When you shoot an aircraft down you’re not aiming to kill the pilot, you want to get rid of the aircraft. It was always satisfying if you knocked the aircraft out of the sky and the crew, if it was a bomber, bailed out. It was the same with a fighter and you hoped that the fellah would get out. However, when you’re aiming for an aircraft as small as that it was difficult to miss the pilot as well.” A Mediterranean hotspot After Biggin Hill, Scott’s next deployment would be a besieged island whose wartime experience was both horrific and heroic. At only 17 miles (27 kilometres) long and nine miles (14.5 kilometres) wide, Malta is a tiny island. During WWII, its central position between North Africa and Fascist Italy made it an essential military base for Allied forces in the Mediterranean Sea. A British colony since 1815, Malta was well positioned to allow the Allies to intercept or harry Axis supplies or reinforcements from Italian depots to their forces in North Africa. Nevertheless, the presence of the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) on Sicily and mainland Italy convinced the British that the island could not be the main base for their Mediterranean Fleet. Operations were therefore conducted from Alexandria, Egypt, while the French Navy would dominate the western part of the sea. However, the fall of France in May 1940 obliged the British to concentrate naval power from Gibraltar and make the defence of Malta a priority. Scott (middle row, second from right) pictured with 124 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill, 1941. His fellow pilots hailed not just from Britain but also from Belgium, Canada, France, Poland, Norway and even Mauritius Initially, only a small number of obsolete Gloster Sea Gladiators formed the aerial defence of the island. Axis operations against Malta began after Italy joined the war in June 1940 along with the beginning of the North African Campaign. British-led forces performed well against the Italians in Libya, which forced the Germans to deploy the Afrika Korps under Erwin Rommel in early 1941. Although the ‘Desert Fox’ was a much more formidable foe, his links to supplies and reinforcements from Europe were precarious thanks to Malta’s garrison. Rommel warned in May 1941, “Without Malta, the Axis will end by losing control of North Africa.” The Germans and Italians consequently stepped up their air campaign against the island. The British had replaced their Gladiators with Hurricanes but their outnumbered pilots struggled in the face of almost relentless Axis bomber raids and fighter attacks. By the end of 1941, the British were suffering serious naval losses in the Mediterranean, which affected the flow of supplies needed to reinforce Malta. At one point, only 7,500 of 26,000 tons of supplies from Alexandria managed to reach the island and both military personnel and civilians suffered great hardships. Despite the fact that Malta was becoming subjected to the most sustained and Image: RAF Benevolent Fund they could. For example, I was on the Hurricane for a very short time of about a week before we were put onto Spitfires.” Although the Hurricane was the most numerous British fighter aircraft during the Battle of Britain, the Supermarine Spitfire became the most famous. Scott was, and remains, enamoured of the aeroplane, “The Spitfire was marvellous. It was very useful in combat because it fitted you like a glove or overcoat. When you turned, the aircraft turned and you didn’t have to think about flying. The Spitfire behaved with you so it was wonderful manoeuvrable aircraft.” Scott flew a Spitfire Mk Vb on Malta. The Mk V was the first Spitfire to be used in large numbers outside Britain with the Vb variant being equipped with two 20mm cannons as well as machine-guns 47 MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE “WE RAF PILOTS WERE SCARED STIFF ABOUT FLYING OFF A CARRIER AND WE ALSO HAD TO GO PAST THE ISLAND OF PANTELLERIA, WHICH HAD A MESSERSCHMITT SQUADRON ON IT. IT WAS HAZARDOUS ALL THE WAY” concentrated bombing campaign of the war, Allied fighters continued to be flown in. The first Spitfire Mk Vs were flown in during March-April 1942 from three aircraft carriers. They continued to deliver more Spitfires through May-June and the fighters proved more than a match for the previously dominant Messerschmitt Bf 109. Experienced Allied pilots were now able to shoot down increasing numbers of enemy aircraft. This included Canadian pilot George Beurling who destroyed 27 Axis aircraft within a fortnight in July 1942. It was during this month that Scott arrived to an island that was being reduced to rubble. “Welcome to Malta” Scott had been deployed for his second combat tour and had some awareness of the grim situation, “You knew that it was a bit tough flying around there from returning pilots who had already done six months. Mind you, they didn’t have the really tough time we had because we had the final Axis push to get rid of the island. We were there during the most intense period during August-October 1942.” Sailing from the UK in early July 1942, Scott travelled by sea to Gibraltar. Once there, he boarded HMS Eagle along with 36 Spitfires. This was the second contingent of aerial resupplies to Malta to make up the numbers for constant losses. Scott remembers that the journey was perilous, “If you flew to Malta there was every chance you could be shot down so we had to go by sea. We went on the carriers that took us 1,000 miles down the Mediterranean and then flew off them to get to Malta. We RAF pilots were scared stiff about flying off a carrier and we also had to go past the island of Pantelleria, which had a Messerschmitt squadron on it. It was hazardous all the way.” With only enough fuel to fly to Malta itself, Scott and his fellow Spitfire pilots arrived at Takali airfield on 21 July 1942 in the middle of an air raid. Whilst attempting to land with his undercarriage down, Scott was intercepted by an enemy fighter, “I suddenly found a Messerschmitt on my tail. He didn’t stick 48 Image: Getty Image: Alamy HMS Fearless seen in the background on fire after being hit while escorting a convoy to Malta, April 1942 MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE Junkers Ju 88 bombers bomb Valetta while a Spitfire engages with an Italian Macchi MC-202 fighter 49 MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE Sergeant Pilot Allan Scott pictured shaking hands with King George VI during a visit to RAF Biggin Hill in 1941 around for long and when I turned around he flew off. He didn’t come back and I managed to turn and land. That was my introduction to the siege and I said, ‘Welcome to Malta. My God, here we come!’.” Bombardments and biscuits When Scott arrived on Malta he joined 603 Squadron, but it was disbanded within days. A new unit, 1435 Squadron, was formed and Scott joined that at RAF Luqa for the duration of his tour. Located 2.7 miles (4.3 kilometres) from Valetta, Luqa was one of three airfields (as well as the capital’s Grand Harbour) that became principal Axis targets in the wake of the second arrival of Spitfires. Luftwaffe and Italian squadrons were based only 60 miles (97 kilometres) away on Sicily and this resulted in multiple raids almost every day, “We’d come under attack sometimes four times a day during the peak periods although it depended on the number of heavy raids coming in. Sometimes we only had four Spitfires that were serviceable so it was a bit tough. You scrambled and kept going up to get over and ahead of the bombers before you got down on the ground and refuelled. They’d rearm you quickly and you’d be ready to go up again. It wasn’t every day of course but we never did less than two scrambles a day.” Against this onslaught, Scott also had to contend with horrendous ground conditions. Thanks to disrupted supply lines, Malta was acutely deprived of resources. For the pilots, 50 Images: RAF Benevolent Fund “THEY WANTED TO GET TROOPS AND AMMUNITION TO ROMMEL IN NORTH AFRICA. WE WERE STOPPING IT SO WE WERE A THORN IN THEIR SIDE” Scott and his parents outside Buckingham Palace on the day that he received the Distinguished Flying Medal from George VI. He also briefly met Princess Elizabeth (the future Elizabeth II) for the first time who were providing the front line defence from air attacks, starvation greatly added to their problems, “Conditions were pretty tough and we had no food of course. We lived on ship’s biscuits, which were really hard and you could break your teeth on them. The cook used to put them all in a pail of water, which made a mushy mess that acted as a pudding. We ate that and it kept us alive because it had vitamins and mushy pudding was far better than eating the biscuit. I eventually lost four stone in weight because we had nothing to eat.” The squadron was also exposed to continual bombardments when they weren’t flying, “The civilians also didn’t have much to eat and they’d lost their homes. However, they were safe because they lived in the caves whereas we lived on top where we got all the strafing and bombing. Outside our mess there was an anti-aircraft battalion and they were going ‘BOOM! BOOM!’ all the time. You got used to that and could even sleep through it because we were so tired. However, we were airborne most of the time.” Dogfights Although the Siege of Malta had been underway in various stages since 1940, Scott flew during its most intense time towards the end of the siege, “The siege finished in October 1942 but the months before then was Field Marshal Albert Kesselring’s push to get rid of the island and they threw everything in. It was important to them because they wanted to get troops and ammunition to Rommel in North Africa. We were stopping it so we were a thorn in their side. For our own purposes, we wanted to keep Malta open because it was keeping the Mediterranean open for us. So it was a very important little island.” Flying against Messerschmitt fighters and bombers such as the Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17 and Junkers Ju 88, the Spitfires had to prevent Malta from being pulverised, “The fighters were just in the way and our main task was shooting at the bombers. They came in droves and you had to pick one. “We used to try and pick the Gruppenführer in front because if you hit him first he wouldn’t be giving anybody instructions. The Germans were all hidebound about getting told what to do and if the Gruppenführer was not telling them they’d mill around for a bit, which made it easier to shoot them down.” To destroy enemy aircraft, Scott deployed various methods, “First of all, you had to climb like hell to get above the enemy aircraft. You could usually get above them because they flew at roughly 15,000 feet whereas we could get up to 20,000 feet very quickly. However, we never got above the Messerschmitts who were sitting at 36,000 feet. “You then had to pick your target but you could only stay on it for about three seconds or less. This was because you would fire and turn before a Messerschmitt came down to find you. You also had to miss your own colleagues because there were aircraft all over the sky. It was one mass of bidding aeroplanes and Images: RAF Benevolent Fund MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE An entry from Scott’s log book dated 17 December 1941. The victory against the Junkers 88 was marked by a hand-drawn swastika and Scott wrote by the side that the incident was “rather exciting” there were quite a few collisions. If you turned and were not thinking you could hit an aircraft. Altogether, there was the risk of collision and the risk of being shot down by a Messerschmitt so it was a bit of a dicey do!” To counter the threat from the fighters, Scott developed his own method to avoid being shot down, “They always used to come out of the sun and were crafty so I always came in on a turn. The idea was that if a Messerschmitt wanted to fire at me, he had to come in sideways and turn with me. If he started coming in by the side I could see him without having to crane my neck. I would then go in on a turn, gave him a quick squirt and then turn again. I was always a turner, which was a saving factor.” Scott also used another tactic that was useful against direct enemy fighter attacks, “You never wanted them to attack you head-on because they had a cannon that fired straight through the hub of the propeller whereas we’d have to get to within 300 yards to fire at them. When you saw one coming I devised a method where I always ‘side-slipped’. Using instinct, you could easily put to the side during a headon attack. They’d notice you but you’d then be able to turn back on him. “When I landed back in Malta I used to the side-slip again because they were strafing [the airfield]. You watched the strafe go through and then you had time to get down before the next wave came in. I side-slipped from 1,000 feet to 500 feet, landed quickly, got to a pen and then dived for a slit trench!” With fighting conditions like this, Scott’s Luftwaffe counterparts were formidable opponents, “They weren’t duffers by any means and they knew what they were doing. They had their own tactics of course and were able to put their fighters’ noses down. We couldn’t do that in the Spitfire because the carburettor would start off but they had fuel injection. “If you went behind them they would just drop and you couldn’t do much about it. You’d have to roll and come down after them but by that time they were away.” Another problem Scott had to contend with was his aircraft’s limited amount of ammunition, “The Spitfire Vb was armed with two cannons and eight machine guns. It fired 600 rounds per minute and I usually shot down aircraft in three-second bursts. Your ammunition would last for about nine minutes but I often ran out of ammo. You then had to get out of the way because you were now useless and couldn’t do anything. I used to spiral down to the sea and try to get back to Malta.” During one of these incidents, Scott experienced a hair-raising escape, “The Germans would soon spot you going down to the sea. On one occasion I had two fighters following me at the same time. They realised I hadn’t got any ammo because I had been on their tail not doing anything. It turned into a stalemate because they were running out of fuel and had to get back to Sicily. The most amazing thing then happened. We all waggled our wings and made rude signs at each other. Scott’s medals, including his Distinguished Flying Medal (far left) and Malta George Cross 50th Anniversary Medal (far right) pictured lying on top of his pilot’s log book They then peeled off back to Sicily, thank God!” Scott explains that a curious aerial chivalry existed between the opposing pilots, “The Germans were good fliers but big-headed. They would obey an order right to the end and were almost too efficient. You would prey on that of course but I met a lot of Luftwaffe pilots after the war and became good friends with some of them. They were gentlemen the same as ourselves and they just said, ‘Well, we had to shoot you down. You also had to shoot us down and it was our job’.” The Germans might have been Scott’s primary foe but he also came across Italian aircraft, “You always knew an Italian because he would do aerobatics everywhere and it was very difficult to get a sight on him. He would twist and turn and to get a quick burst on him was sheer luck.” As fate would have it, it would be an Italian aircraft that Scott would encounter during one of the most pivotal moments of the siege. Operation Pedestal By August 1942, the situation on Malta was at its worst stage and Allied commanders knew it might be forced to surrender if enough supplies did not get through by the end of the month. Operation Pedestal planned to send 14 merchant vessels guarded by 64 warships to reach the island. This attempt required the convoy to sail past enemy bombers, mines and U-boats. Critical to Pedestal’s success was the delivery of the oil tanker SS Ohio with her cargo of 11,000 tons of fuel for Allied aircraft on Malta. 51 MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE RAF BENEVOLENT FUND This military charity has been tirelessly helping British air force personnel and their dependents for a century The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is the leading welfare charity supporting current and former members of the RAF, their partners and families, providing practical, emotional and financial support, The convoy began sailing in early August 1942 but suffered terrible losses en route through the Mediterranean, “They were attacked all the way from Gibraltar and were really hammered. The main target for the enemy was the Ohio. That meant fuel and food for us so they really went to town on it.” The Ohio was torpedoed and heavily bombed between 12-13 August but limped on. As the convoy approached Malta, all three of the island’s squadrons flew to give the ships continuous air cover. During one sortie with four Spitfires, Scott encountered an Italian Breda Ba.88 that was attacking a ship, “I saw this bomber out of the corner of my eye that was doing a bombing run. I thought, ‘Well, I’m here’ and wondered if I could do a beam shot on it. A beam shot was a firing tactic that required precision, “When you had to fire in front of an approaching enemy aircraft, he would fly into the bullets. The gun sight is ringed and you allowed approximately eight rings that you thought would be the right point where the aircraft would run into your bullets. “I was lucky in that I guessed eight rings when the Breda was coming in. I fired and the timing was exactly right because he blew up. He whenever they need it. Founded in 1919 just one year after the formation of the air force, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Benevolent Fund. To mark the occasion, the charity has launched a campaign to double the number of people it supports. Allan Scott is an ambassador for the RAF Benevolent Fund and is enthusiastic about the support they provide for those in need, “I help them because they help people in distress. There are lots of families coming out of the air force now in really dire circumstances. The Benevolent Fund helps them in most ways, money-wise and welfare.” If you know an RAF veteran, or their partner in need, contact the Fund at www.rafbf.org or by telephone on 0300 102 1919. had a full load of bombs and the air was full of debris.” This victory not only helped save the ship but was a rare confirmed victory against a bomber, “When you normally hit a bomber you couldn’t claim it as ‘destroyed’ because they often tried to get back on one engine etc. Unless you saw them bail out or crash, they were always a ‘probable’.” Of all the ships that set out for Pedestal, Malta’s Spitfires only covered the entrance of four vessels into Valetta’s Grand Harbour on 15 August. Nevertheless, this included the heavily damaged but still floating Ohio. Its precious cargo was just enough to keep the siege going, “Once the tanker was in that gave us all fuel for the Spitfires and food. There was great delight from the Maltese and they [ran] down to the quayside to cheer the Ohio. It really was an important ship to get in.” A “guardian angel” Throughout his time on Malta, Scott was surrounded by the impact of severe RAF losses. He found the only way to cope with the continuing casualties was to become – in his words – “callous”, “Our life expectancy as fighter pilots was 20 minutes. When you came “YOU HAD TO HAVE THE SKILL TO FLY A SPITFIRE PROPERLY AND IF YOU DID THAT IT WOULD NEVER LET YOU DOWN” 52 down from a sortie you would say ‘Where’s soand-so?’ and they’d say ‘He got the chop’. You just accepted it, said something like ‘Oh really?’ and carried on. That’s what I mean by ‘callous’. Let’s be honest, you were scared most of the time and were a bit worried because, for all you knew, you could be next.” Nevertheless, Scott survived the siege “without a scratch”, “All my flying was instinctive but surviving was a combination of skill and luck. You had to have the skill to fly a Spitfire properly and if you did that it would never let you down. Then of course, I always say that I had a ‘guardian angel’ which must have been on my side somewhere. I actually thought that my guardian angel was my dad. It was just one of those things you thought but it brought me through all the battles and combat. To survive without a scratch was a unique thing.” Although Operation Pedestal began to ease conditions on Malta, the siege dragged on for months. Albert Kesselring eventually called off the Axis offensive and by November 1942, Allied air and sea superiority over the island was secured. The statistics for Malta’s suffering were horrendous: 3,343 registered air raids, 15,000 tons of bombs dropped and over 9,000 civilian, military and merchant casualties. 10,761 buildings had also been destroyed or extensively damaged with Scott recalling, “They really did flatten it and there wasn’t a building standing when I left.” Images: RAF Benevolent Fund Allan Scott flew in a Spitfire again for RAF 100 in April 2018. He can also be heard being interviewed on the RAF Benevolent Fund’s ‘All Stations’ podcast. To listen visit: www.rafbf.org/allstations-podcast MALTA’S SPITFIRE ACE Image: Alamy Image: Allan Scott The Spitfires of 1435 Squadron take a rest between raids during the siege Although his primary task was to destroy German bombers, Scott’s principal fighter nemesis was the Messerschmitt Bf 109 excellent flier. On previous occasions he hands over control to me as soon as we get airborne and says, ‘It’s all yours, Allan’ I fly it, roll it and do whatever I want. I don’t want to wish my life away but I’m looking forward to it.” For someone who survived the Battle of Britain and Siege of Malta, Scott explains that the Spitfire saved his life, “I owe it everything because it brought me right through the war unscathed. This was because it was a wonderful aircraft and flying it properly got you out of trouble. Of course it makes you think, ‘Well, that’s it. It’s the best aircraft in the world’. It was part of you and I thought the world of it.” Image: Alamy With the lifting of the siege, Scott was relieved to return home, “We were saying ‘Thank God we can get off this hell of an island!’. We didn’t like it because of the bombs and strafing and we were glad to get out as soon as we could. We went back to the UK for a long leave to recover from the combat and calm our nerves.” Hundreds of aircraft on both sides had been destroyed in Malta with Scott claiming five confirmed aerial victories. Now an ‘ace’ fighter pilot, Scott was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) and met George VI again when he was decorated at Buckingham Palace. He was also commissioned as a pilot officer and went on to complete a third combat tour conducting escort flights in P-51 Mustangs over Europe with 122 Squadron. “I owe it everything” After the war, Scott remained with the RAF and became a test pilot. He flew almost 100 different kinds of new aircraft including the Gloster Meteor, De Havilland Vampire, Hawker Hunter and the English Electric Lightning. Although he retired from the RAF in 1976 as a squadron leader, Scott continued to fly until he was 70 and plans to revisit his old aircraft for a special occasion, “I’m going to fly the Spitfire again on my 100th birthday. It’ll have to be the two-seater trainer and a dual flight because of the insurance but I know the pilot and he’s an Thousands of Malta’s buildings were destroyed or badly damaged during the siege including Valetta’s Grand Opera House Allan Scott is the author of the memoir Born To Survive, which is published by Ellingham Press. For more information visit: www.ellinghampress.co.uk 53