TWO MIRACLES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 72, Issue 6198, 25 February 1946, Page 5

TWO MIRACLES

INCIDENTS DURING SIEGE OF MALTA PLIGHT OF H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS Two instances, of what he claimed to be miracles were given by Lieuten-ant-General Sir William Dobbie during the course of his address in Hamilton on Friday night. In the village of Mosta situated in the centre of the island, a church had been built which possessed the third largest dome in the world, said Sir William. “The people were very proud of it and one day in the spring of 1942 I went to a large tower near Mosta to. observe the battle and I saw a Wmb drop on the dome. I was greatly troubled because I knew the tremendous interest the people of Malta took in the church so it was a great relief when I arrived on the scene to find the church undamaged. On entering the church, however, I saw the largest bomb I had seen—a 40001 b bomb which had drilled a neat hole in the huge dome and dropped 200 feet on to the marble floor. Had the church been destroyed the psychological effect would have been very great because the people held the church in such high esteem. They said it was a miracle and I believe they were right,” remarked Sir William. When H.M.S. Illustrious was on convoy duty near Malta in the early days of the siege she was the target for German bombers and was badly crippled, said the speaker. She limped into Malta under cover of darkness and next morning was again attacked and hit by the bombers. The prospects of getting her away to sea looked hopeless, he continued. It was estimated that it would take four days without further damage before the Illustrious could hope to leave port. “We prayed that God would help us. We were up against a real difficulty as the Illustrious was a valuable vessel in those early days of war. The next day the Germans attacked and missed. Thd same happened on the succeeding three days and the ship was repaired sufficiently to be put to sea and limp back to an American base. We in Malta who saw and know the facts regard the incident as a miracle. I thank God and others do too.” A graphic film of the siege of Malta, taken in the latter stages of the campaign was screened prior to Sir William’s address. The speaker said the incidents depicted in the film were in no way exaggerated.