A tribute in London for Maltese heroes

Caroline Davies, writing for the Daily Telegraph, says that it was 'a pivotal moment for the Allies, yet for more than 60 years no national memorial existed in Britain to commemorate the Siege of Malta'. A monument in London has just been erected as a tribute to those who died defending Malta during Pedestal's five-day battle, which ended as the Santa Maria convoy entered the Grand Harbour of Valletta on Aug 15, 1942. From the online Telegraph:

Malta, then part of the British Empire, was strategically crucial, lying alone in a hostile Mediterranean, 800 miles from its nearest allies in Gibraltar and Alexandria. If it fell, North Africa was likely to follow. For three years it was the fulcrum on which the fate of war was balanced. More than 7,000 civilians and servicemen and women died during the siege, which saw Malta sustain some of the worst bombing of the war.

In Malta, those lost defending the island are commemorated by the Siege Bell, a granite memorial unveiled by the Queen in 1992. Yet, despite the numbers of British military involved, no national memorial had been erected in Britain until now. The memorial, which stands outside All Hallows church near the Tower of London, was the idea of Fred Jewett, now 82, who served as an able seaman in the destroyer Ashanti, escorting the supply ships on Operation Pedestal...

After a five-day running battle, the convoy's four surviving merchant vessels and the tanker Ohio - carrying precious fuel, heavily damaged from seven direct hits, and under tow - arrived at Valletta. The siege was broken and within months North Africa was retaken. "The memorial honours all those who gave their lives defending Malta and it will provide a lasting recognition and focus for everyone who participated during the siege," said Mr Lewin.

Memorial to veterans - Guardian