Hi all, I joined rootschat a few years ago as I was looking to try to find the location of my late father's radar unit in Malta . I had put appeals in the two Maltese newspapers with some success and had emailed various people both in Malta and here in the UK without too much success. I had some information but it would not give me a location . I started this search in 2008 . In 2009 and still struggling to find the location at Dingli cliff of the 504 COL radar, I emailed the RAFA in London and was not expecting too much in return, They however passed my email to the Malta branch where it was picked up by Tony Abela. Over the next almost 3 yrs emails passed to and from Malta , I would send info to Tony and he would say that it was not on that site and he would send me information and I would be thinking NO that can't be right. This went on till in early 2012 when a lady from near London replied to my rootschat appeal and mentioned that her Father served on that Radar unit as a Radar. Operator and knew my Father and better still he was still alive although in his 90's.
Tony made the first contact then I made contact with this lady and eventually asked if I could speak with her Father on the phone and it was arranged , During our call I learned so much more about my Father's time in Malta and about the Radar at Dingli cliff. In September 2012 my partner Jean and I went to Malta and we met up with Tony again as I had met him before when I was on the Island.
Tony took us to Dingli Cliff and showed us the exact position as to where the radar No 504 COL being the one that my Father served on as a Radar op on Malta for almost Three yrs had stood and also showed us the building on the lower cliff which is still standing today. The radar was moved from the cliff top to the lower level in 1943. Tony had also managed to locate a map of where the radars stood so we knew we were in the right spot. 504 COL was a low looking radar and one of the first Three Chain Overseas Low Radars ever to be sent outside of the UK . At this time Tony mentioned that it was his intention to write. A book about the Radars on Malta during WW2 , this was something which had never been done before . In March 2014 Tony had finished his book and Jean and I were invited to attend the launch of the book , I was also asked if I would make a speech as the representative of all the Radar crews who were on Malta like my Father between 1940--1944.
On the 29th of March at the present Radar site and In front of around 200 invited guests Tony made the first speech , I made the second speech as the representative of the Radar crews which took about Three and a Half minutes and was well received and the tourism minister made the Final speech. Having said goodbye to Tony , Jean and I went back to Dingli cliff on our own for me to be able to stand at the exact location where my Father had been during WW2 a bit of an emotional time for me . When I returned home I spoke to the gentleman again by phone and he told me that my Father and he and other Radar crew were involved in the rescue of a downed British airman. He had been shot down and after ejecting from his plane he had landed in the water not far from the lower cliffs where he managed to swim to the rocks. A search party from 504 & 242 Radar Units searched the area but ocould not find him In the dark. However they found him the next morning and a rope rescue party was formed and lowered an officer down to the airman who was also wounded and they hauled both men up to the cliff top, I was told that both this gentleman and my Father were on the edge of the cliff lowering and raising the rope along with other crew with their South African Officer beside them. I believe that the Airman survived after a spell in hospital.
During my search there were many occasions when I thought I would never find where the 504 Radar was located and I put in appeal after appeal on The Rootschat website and time after time members would come back with suggestions as to where to try next or they knew someone who could maybe help. This was great as it always gave me hope that one day someone would find the missing part of the jigsaw and if I had not been on rootschat then I would have missed this lady and would never have spoken to her father who served in the RAF like my Father and would have missed finding where my Father served on Malta as he had also confirmed the location to us . Sadly her Father passed on last year ,however I will never forget the phone calls which were fantastic and sadly I believe this gentleman may have been the last survivor of RAF Radar No 504 COL sited at Dingli Cliffs. He will never be forgotten.
Rootschat is a wonderful site and has fantastic people who are far more knowledgable than I am and I know that thank you is never enough , so please keep up the great work that you do .
You gave me great hope and assistance , I know that you will assist others , Thank you one and all.
Bill Crawford
