大象传媒

Chapter two

Our water came from a well and had to be boiled and there was also a tap some distance away, with the slogan 'waste not want' engraved on the tap.

We were counted as civilians as father was in the Kings own regiment, which was the Maltese Army. So as the war progressed and food got shorter we were in rather a difficult position. The local farmers were able to live off the land and we could buy food from them or the local village shop. But as the food got shorter the farms had all the produce confiscated for the Victory kitchen. We were friends with the entire village and they helped all they could. Mum would make them cakes when any flour was available and knit in exchange for fruit or eggs.I would go round the villages to families with a baby and goats: in return for rocking the baby in the hammock I would get a cup of goats milk. My father had an arrangement with the cookhouse that he would have whatever rations were available to him for the week and he would bring it home. Mum would eke it out fro the five of us. Fathers typical ration was a tin of corned beef, a tin of herrings in tomato sauce. Perhaps army biscuits, which were hard biscuits called hard tack. He would also barter for food, the farmers were desperate for machine oil for the water pumps for the fields. My father was able to get a small can of oil with about a cup full of oil and the oil went all round the farmers so they could all oil the pumps.

The food situation was getting very bad although the offical ration initially was a loaf of bread, 3oz of fat, 1.3/4oz of cheese, 1 1/4oz coffee, 3 pints of milk, 3lbs tomatoes, 1.1/2lbs of potatoes and 8 gallons of water. No sugar, rice, pasta, tea, oil, butter, soap or meat and fish. This was of course if you were near enough to a town or village with a supply. I remember walking three miles once for a small loaf of bread. All the confiscated food was given to the Victory kitchens to be made into soup. We visited an aunt and I went with her for a bowl of soup. It was very meagre and had very little in it. It looked like clear soup to me. Aunt said it would be good for me!

It was sad to see all the barns empty and even the chicken pens, as there was no food for them. the goats were always taken out to graze anyway. Even in the worst of the bombing the shepherd went out with the goats and was able to to shelter in one of the caves. I never heard of any goats being killed.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.