The Malta Independent on Sunday
Letter-writing and marriage during Second World War in Malta
During the Second World War, writing letters was the most popular form of communication. There were no social media platforms to keep people in touch though large distances separated them. The outbreak of hostilities did not manage to deter communication between loved ones or the institution of marriage as the statistics provided in this feature show. Indeed, love, romance and marriage are heightened emotions and activities during wartime Wartime letters
The institution of postal censorship in wartime mail was of utmost importance, not only in ensuring that no secret, sensitive and confidential information about the war effort was divulged to the enemy, but also in not spreading any news other than that already found in newspapers.
In this sense, service personnel letters were vetted and initialled by the Commanding Officer for go ahead and to ensure that the horrors of war are not exposed to family members at home. This could contribute to lowering of the population’s morale and support of the war effort.
According to Wikipedia, the largest organisations having censor staff were those of the United States, though the United Kingdom employed about 10,000 censor staff.
The war letters focused mainly on family matters at home, romance and above all love. It is interesting to note that most letters during wartime heightened vividly the expression of emotion in letter-writing. The inclusion of faith and philosophical ideals are considered as a phenomenon of such letters. This understandable level of impassion arose from the fact that the next letter from the service personnel could be the last one.
A series of three letters (22 February 1944, 29 February 1944 and 25 March 1944) sent by Lance Corporal later, Corporal) L. Thorpe of the Royal Air Force, Malta Force (Serial Number 1689219) to his darling in England during February and March 1944 indicate clearly that although the Malta Blitz had by 1944 ceased, still British service personnel serving in Malta were very concerned about the war in Britain, which was still being attacked by the Germans. According to Wikipedia, Operation Steinbock (German: Unternehmen Steinbock), sometimes called the Baby Blitz, was a strategic bombing campaign by the German Air Force (the Luftwaffe) during the Second World War. It targeted southern England and lasted from January to May 1944. Steinbock was the last strategic air offensive by the German bomber arm during the conflict.
The letter dated 22 February 1944 is quite revealing in that some concern in a humoristic tone about his sweetheart’s outings and perhaps meeting other men are aired. The tone of these lines reveals this emotion:
“Now to carry on replying to your letters. By the way, in one of them was 3 outings of war-time humour. They were very amusing. I am half-way through your letter of 31 December (no. 65). I see you did not miss anything out when you told me about those letters of Jack’s. All
right, then, we have now settled that and it’s finished with, I know all I want to know. Isn’t that a wonder. But there is something else I want to know now. I asked about it some weeks ago and I am now waiting for your Full answer. I shall keep asking, so tell me now and save me the time dear. Don’t forget, my sweet, I shall get to know somehow. It’s about that fellow in Princes Ave and about those 8 or 18 fellows. Tell me darling, now.”
Apart from letter-writing, British servicemen serving in Malta used their time to bedtime reading, listening to the wireless in their billet, such as the General Services Programme and the BBC Popular songs of the day were their favourite, such as those played by Maurice Winnick (28 March 1902-26 May 1962). Maurice was an English musician and dance band leader of the British dance band era. They played You’ll never know. Another pastime was going to the Talkies. In fact, L. Thorpe mentions in March 1944 that the film Forest Rangers was coming to the Valletta cinema shortly and that he had seen the trailer. The Forest Rangers is a 1942 American adventure film made by Paramount Pictures,
Marriages
Going by local statistics held at the National Archives of Malta (NAM), the number of marriages recorded in the Annual Report from the Public Registry shows the following figures for Malta and Gozo. Also, the chief secretary to Government held Population and Vital Statistics in the Malta Blue book for the years other than the war years (1939-43). These figures are obtainable from the National Statistics Office (NSO).
Marriages in Malta and Gozo 1936-1942
1936 ............................................................................................. 1,878 1937 ............................................................................................. 1,806 1938 ............................................................................................. 1,778 1939-40 ...................................................................................... 1,809 1940-41 ...................................................................................... 1,769 1942 ............................................................................................. 1,868
It is noted that for the period 1939-45, there are no reports on the working on Government Departments. This, there is no straightforward source, like the Public Registry Department Reports where such data can be found for other periods.
Notwithstanding the information of marriages being scattered, it is possible to form the big picture of how the number of marriages in Malta and Gozo did not decline during wartime Malta but always kept above the 1,000 marriages mark, even during the years when the Blitz was at its height during 1940-42 and 1942.
One interesting certificate issued by the parish and signed by the vicar Fr Antonio Rapa of the Maria Assunta Church in Gudja dated 14 October 1941 reveals in detail the expenses paid for services at the church on 5 and 6 October 1941 for the celebration of the marriage of Giuseppe Gatt and Antonia Psaila in the said church, as follows:
• Celebration of Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 shillings
• Other expenses in connection with the Mass:
• Hiring of church organ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 shilling
• Organist’s fee and other musician’s fee . . . 3 shillings 6 pence
• Candles for the spouses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 shilling
• Candles for the parish priest . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 shillings
• Kneelers and cushions for the spouses . . . . . 6 pence
• Fee for tailor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 pence
• Certificate of marriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 pence
• Hiring of 30 chairs and transport of same 4 shillings
• Usher’s fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 pence total of 1 Sterling, 4 shillings 2 pence
It is not only the darkness of the night that heightens all sensations as Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber writes in the opera, Cats but also the darkness, fear and misery of war. This is best expressed not only in emotions of rage and sorrow but also in the noble sentiments of romance and love that cannot be bombed out or even be blown to smithereens.