MALTA'S WORLD WAR II EXPERIENCE EXPLAINED IN ONE BRILLIANT DOCUMENTARY
There have been numerous commemorations of significant 20th Century battles in recent months, from the 70th anniversary of the famous 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy, to the events marking the beginning of World War I in 1914. Last Friday Malta also commemorated the arrival of the famous 'Santa Marija' supply convoy on 15 August 1942, an important WWII occurence that allowed the island to go on fighting and not surrender to Nazi and Fascist forces that had been bombarding and surrounding her for over two years.
But, living as we do in the comparative peace of the 21st Century (at least on our territory and in most of Europe), and with most of our own veterans of the era now passed on, sometimes it is hard to grasp the enormity of the destruction and savagery that our islands and people faced 70 years ago.
SWAG has decided to share this excellent BBC documentary about Malta and the important part she played in the Second World War, made only two years ago by a brilliant young British historian called James Holland, who has also authored the must-read book Fortress Malta on the same subject. If you ever wondered why such a fuss is still made about the Santa Marija Convoy and other World War II anniversaries and monuments, this documentary is sure to clarify it all for you - and hopefully give a taste of the tragedy of war, something that so many people in various parts of the Middle East are going through again at the moment.
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