During a recent stopover in Malta, personnel from HMS Illustrious presented a copy of her predecessor’s Second World War damage report to local historians.
Service personnel from the current HMS Illustrious (RO6) recently visited the Malta Maritime Museum where they donated a copy of the damage assessment report to Heritage Malta for them to maintain for future generations.
The now declassified document offers an insight on the damage sustained by the former HMS Illustrious (R87) and the ingenious way that Maltese dockworkers and British Naval personnel patched her up before she slipped out of Grand Harbour under cover of darkness on 23 January 1941.
Ship’s personnel enjoyed a guided tour of the museum where they saw artifacts including a model of Bighi’s Royal Navy Hospital.
It was Nelson’s desire to have a Naval Hospital in Malta and he personally chose the 17th century Villa Bichi to house this hospital.
Also viewed was a life size bronze bust of Admiral Lord Nelson which was sculpted and donated to the Maltese National Collection in 2010 by Anglo Maltese sculptor Robert Hornyold-Strickland.
Following the guided tour, the damage report documents were presented to Heritage Malta’s Chairman Joseph Said.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, December 10, 2012; Image: Royal Navy