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He was just a five year old

The horror, the destruction , the slaughter

Of innocent lives during the many

Air Attacks his native island of Malta

Endured during world war 11

It was a normal quiet day

Blue sky not a cloud in sight

It was some time past Midday when

Most people are about their chores

And others enjoying a quiet

Siesta in the mid afternoon

The period during World War 11

When this five year old boy witnessed

A moment of fear when from the

Blue sky above screamed down

Junkers 88#39;s unloading their total destruction

Death, and fear on the innocent victims below

Bombs exploding and bursting anywhere

Shaking the earth as if an earthquake hit destroying

houses and hurling pieces of steel and shrapnets

Causing horrific injuries, deaths, people

and shrunken by blast and

Body parts and limbs scattered everywhere

;No mercy and quarters given,no exceptions made

Men , women, children, old and young

Abled and disabled people

Nobody was spared everyone got the same fate

He saw people moaning, screaming and crying

For the destruction was widespread

What he saw was horrific and a sad scene

A scene that has left a lifetime imprint

On the mind of this five year old

An imprint of horrific scene, a scene

Atrocities incurring through World War 11

And by all kinds of Wars

Joe Schembri

1/9/2010

The year nineteen thirty nine arrived and I became a teenager. Not long after, the second world war started which brought great changes to people's lives. Food coupons, shortages of many commodities and a feeling of being invaded by what appeared to be well dressed and well heeled American service-men when they arrived. Arguments and fights ensured between Australia and American servicemen as they wooed females with more money and classier looking uniforms.

Holly-wood movies full of ballyhoo;at the time made we young teenagers think everyone lived the way their movies portrayed America to be. Thousands of young females became pregnant to American service-men and many lost their lives because of back-yard abortionists. I am writing this at 85 years;age and I can remember some lovely females I worked with who passed away after these dangerous procedures.

Some pregnant females found their parents 'could not cope' or did not want to cope with a pregnant daughter. I had a friend who accompanied her sister with her new-borne baby 'on the train' to the Berry Street Baby founding home. Her parents could not cope with more children. For some-time during the war while working as a waitress serving meals to nurses at an Anglican hospital, I witnesses dozens of young pregnant girls doing the laundry and kitchen work while being looked after by the Anglican nuns. Many were left bereft after some service-men went home to wives and children they already had.

I also had a young female friend who desperately wanted to come home because she ended up in a very 'Klu Klux Klan' raciest area of America. She had a big loving family and hated the change to her life. I thank my mother who quietly talked to me; she explained as a family they would never have the money to visit and see me if I married the New York American Sailor. I thought I was in love with . Many years later when I traveled around and across America I realized I would've been terribly home-sick for my country. While traveling and visiting average working people's home's in America I thought ours seemed better at the time. "So much for Holly propaganda too 'I thought.

Alan, my husband was an ex-serviceman and we married after the war in 1947. He first tried to join the army when he was 16 Y.O He always liked to relate how he thought it would be a "GREAT ADVENTURE". He was on his way north when the army discovered he was under age and discharged him. The day he turned 18 he re-enlisted. He was in the A.I.F and assigned to the 3rd Australian Signals as a linesman and ended up in New Guinea.

He told me  and our children about the dark dense mountainous terrain, the flowing ice-cold creeks and incessant rain which meant he was always wet. Socks rotted in his boots and he spent much of his time with no socks. His feet were always sore. There were so many deprivations , but they were given cigarettes along with their bully beef and biscuits. That was when he and others started smoking. No matter how fatigued he was able to maintain communications.

Japanese snipers were often ready to attack, if a line was cut or broken he had to repair the break. He told us so much about the new Guinea Natives who were wonderful to them and he felt sad at having to leave them behind. Some times over the years he'd talk about his mates who never came home and the ones who'd been taken as prisoners of war. When Alan did feel like talking about his war ventures his favourite one was to tell his listeners this.

"You know! I will never forget the day I walked out of the jungle onto an open grassy area opposite me a Japanese soldier about the same age as me ( I'd say 19Y,O)  walked out the other side, Guess what? 'we both turned and ran away from each other. I often wondered if he lived to tell the tale.

""SO MUCH FOR THE GREAT ADVENTURE" he would  iterate.

Lois Lawther August 29,2010