Operation Pedestal Remembered - Special events are being held this month in the UK and in Malta to mark the 70th anniversary of Operation Pedestal, the famous Malta convoy.    The First Sea Lord (Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope) attended the 70th anniversary event of this famous Malta Convoy.

In London the Merchant Navy Association will be holding its annual Malta convoy service at All Hallows Church by the Tower  and running until the 8^th September 2012 is a special Operation Pedestal convoy exhibition on the headquarters ship WELLINGTON, moored on the London Embankment near Temple tube station.     The WELLINGTON was of course a former Royal Navy Sloop (of that name) dating from 1934.

In the summer of 1942, the situation on Malta was now desperate. Food was in very short supply and there were only little stocks of fuel for the RAF aircraft and the Royal Navy submarines.     In London, it was decided that a large convoy of fourteen (14) cargo ships was to be mounted that August.      It was designated Operation Pedestal.     Included among the ships was a Texas Company tanker, the OHIO which had been transferred by the US to the Ministry of War Transport and placed under the management of the Eagle Oil & Shipping Co of London.    The convoy had a large escort of Royal Navy warships was organised.   Only five of the fourteen reached Malta namely the BRISBANE STAR (Blue Star) MELBOURNE STAR (Blue Star), PORT CHALMERS (Port Line) and ROCHESTER CASTLE (Union-Castle), and the much damaged and near sinking OHIO.

The merchant ships that were lost were CLAN FERGUSON (Clan Line), DEUCALION (Blue Funnel), DORSET (Federal Steam Navigation), EMPIRE HOPE (MOWT Managed by Shaw Savill & Albion), GLENORCHY (Glen Line), WAIMARAMA (Shaw Savill & Albion) and WAIRANGI (Shaw Savill & Albion).

Also two American vessels were lost in this convoy the ALMERIA LYKES (Lykes Brothers) and the SANTA ELISA (Grace Line).

The Royal Navy escort was made up of three different groups as under:

FORCE Z: 

Battleships :                  NELSON                                    RODNEY

Aircraft Carriers:          EAGLE                               INDOMITABLE

                             VICTORIOUS                      FURIOUS (acting as Ferry Carrier)

Cruisers:                       CHARYBDIS     PHOEBE         SIRIUS

Destroyers:                   VANSITTART   WESTCOTT     WILTON        WISHART

                             WRESTELER +  ANTELOPE      INTURIEL     

                             ESKIMO         SOMALI         TARTAR             

                             LAFORAY        LIGHTNING    LOOKOUT       QUENTIN      

Escort (Hunt):                ZETLAND

                                                                        + Replaced by AMAZON

FORCE X:

Cruisers:                       CAIRO           KENYA           MANCHESTER  NIGERIA

Destroyers:                   FORESIGHT     FURY             ICARUS         INTREPID

                                    ASHANTI       PATHFINDER

Escorts:                        BICESTER       BRAMHAM      DERWENT      LEDBURY

                             PENN            WILTON

FORCE R: (Refueling and Support):       

Tankers:                        RFA BROWN RANGER            RFA DINGLEDALE

Tugs:                             JAUNTY                            SALVONIA

Corvettes:                     JONQUIL       GERANIUM     SPIREA          COLTSFOOT

The history of the Malta Convoys should be made part of the briefing of every politician who ever pontificates of the subject of our defences whether they be in Government or not!