Ladies of Lascaris by Paul McDonald & John Rhys-Davies

Author:Paul McDonald & John Rhys-Davies
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Military / World War II
ISBN: 9781526745460
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2018-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

The RAF headquarters at Lascaris had been under development from the moment war had been declared. Significant expansion began in June 1941 with the arrival of Hugh Lloyd as AOC and it was he who turned to the women and girls of Malta, to the wives and daughters, sisters and nieces of civilians and servicemen, Maltese and British, to alleviate his very serious manpower crisis.

When Christina applied for a job at Lascaris she did so with her close friend Marigold ‘Pickles’ Fletcher, another member of the Whizz-Bangs. They were two of fifty-nine applicants, such was the level of interest among women who wanted to contribute to Malta’s war effort. Christina and Pickles began training on the same day, 15 June 1941, and their careers as aircraft plotters followed similar paths, both becoming captains of their respective watches. Pickles became Captain of B Watch and Christina Captain of D Watch. Christina went on to become Assistant Controller of D Watch. Pickles gained a reputation for never being late for duty, despite the hazards getting to and from work. She was noted for the high standard of her work and for her courage and steadfastness. While on duty she was told her home had been destroyed in an air raid; she continued as though nothing had happened. American-born Pickles, ‘ballet dancer and contortionist who also had a very sweet singing voice’, was an inspiration to everyone who worked with her. It wasn’t until Christina and Pickles got right into the heart of their new jobs that they realised to what extent the lives of everyone in Malta depended on radio-location, radar. But they weren’t the first ladies of Lascaris.

Mrs Phyllis Frederick arrived in Malta in February 1940. She was one of the early female civilian recruits employed in the Hole from the moment Italy declared war in June 1940. She liked living in Malta despite the bombing and found her new work interesting. As her section expanded she was became responsible for training the newcomers. She said the work became particularly onerous from December 1941 when the heavy German air offensive began. She considered any air raid consisting of less than fifty enemy aircraft a small attack. Phyllis was renowned for her courage, cheerfulness and devotion to duty. She lived in Sliema and crossed Marsamxett Harbour by ferry to get to and from work. When the ferry was cancelled because of raids, she used a rowing boat despite shell fragments falling around. Like many others, her example was inspirational.

Like Phyllis, most of the girls lived a long way from Lascaris and were at great risk travelling to and from work. When air raids were in progress, transport services were often closed down but the Ops room still needed to be fully manned. Somehow the girls still found their way to work, which resulted in Lascaris gaining a reputation for efficiency with Malta’s military authorities. Until early June 1942, only the cypherines were normally brought to and from work by RAF transport. The plotters and others had to make their own way there.

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