Air-Sea Rescue Operations At Malta And The Kalafrana Seaplane Base 1940-1943

Description A most important wartime role carried out by Royal Air Force personnel was that of Air/Sea Rescue, that is the saving of lives of airmen who, for one reason or another were forced to ditch their aircraft, or bale out of it, and end up in the sea. From 1917 to 1946, RAF Kalafrana served as a seaplane operations centre, strategically located at the southernmost extremity of Malta. The centre was instrumental in both World Wars, initially serving as a hub for anti-submarine and anti-piracy operations. As the utilization of aircraft and the incidence of accidents escalated during the inter-war years, the centre’s mandate was broadened to encompass Air/Sea Rescue (ASR) operations.