Last year I lost of my old friends, Mick Jones,who was a Royal Navy submariner serving on HMS/M Unbroken out of Malta with the 10th Submarine Flotilla during its terrible seige by Axis forces in WWII. Unbroken was one of the first submarines operating out of Lazaretto during those years endeavouring to destroy German and Italian supply lines to Rommel's Western Desert campaign.
Sadly, many RN submarines and their brave crews were lost during the Mediterranean war but luckily Unbroken managed to survive everything the enemy could throw at them and also the gallant Maltese people. As with many other submariners, those mutual experiences forged a strong bond between Mick and the islanders and in later years he revisited Malta many times to see many of his old friends there.
I have just heard from friends in Australia that the very last surviving member of Unbroken's crew, John Crisford had also crossed the bar. All gone, but not forgotten, by those of us who remember them as those devil-may-care 19 year old kids, who thought they were immortal back then, as they fought to maintain freedom's cause and their close links with their proud, stalwart Maltese friends and allies.
Mick, John, Jan Cryer, Jeff McTeare, Peter Fenton and all those other members of her crew would I know be highly honoured to be mentioned and remembered on your most excellent website. Resurgam - they will rise again.
