Today 58 years ago, 16 soldiers of the 16^th Malta Fortress Sqaudron Royal Engineers lost their lives in a fatal plane crash in Libya, a story that shook the nation. The aircraft broke in half and burst into flames on the faithful day, taking off from El Adem Air Force base.

The soldiers were part of a 210 sappers troop, mostly made up of Maltese men. “While we have grown old, we continue to remember them young as they were,” Col. Raymond Cutajar told Times of Malta in a 2011 feature. Col. Cutajar himself should have been on that plane, which was set to send eager soldiers home after five weeks’ work on a major Nato project.

A toss of a coin is what saved Col. Cutajar’s life that day. Apparently, the left wing of the Royal Air Force Hasting 498 hit the runway upon take-off, causing damage. Col. Cutajar, along with the remaining troops, recalls being “bluntly told the names of the dead soldiers and those severely injured in the plane crash.

“We did not want to fly back on the plane that carried out a shuttle service but we were told we would never fly again if we did not overcome our fear this time,” he remembers. "They were our mates," he said, recalling the loss of the young men.

A total of 22 soldiers survived the plane crash, although many had severe injuries. A certain RAF A/Sgt J.M. Hughes survived the crash but died soon after, trying to save the rest of the troop on board.

Remembering the soldiers who lost their lives

These are the men who lost their lives in this 1961 plane crash:

1. Captain Francis Joseph Boatwright (from Britain), aged 35.

2. Warrant Officer Class II Edwin H. Harrison, from Sliema, aged 42.

3. Sergeant Emmanuel Falzon, from Naxxar, aged 37.

4. Corporal Nazzareno Sammut, from Qrendi, aged 31.

5. Lance Corporal Emanuel Fsadni, from Rabat, aged 32.

6. Lance Corporal Nazzareno Portelli from Hamrun, aged 28.

7. Sapper Raphael C. Avallone from Sliema, aged 27.

8. Sapper Edward Barber from Hamrun, aged 20.

9. Sapper Nazzareno Busuttil from Hamrun, aged 36.

10. Sapper Gerald Caruana, from Zurrieq, aged 42.

11. Sapper Paul Cilia, from Hamrun, aged 37.

12. Sapper Francis Galea, from Sliema, aged 25.

13. Sapper Saviour Lia, aged 31.

14. Sapper Joseph Psaila, from Hamrun, aged 29

15. Sapper Michael Stivala, from Naxxar, aged 42

16. Sapper Carmelo Tabone, from Birkirkara, aged 34

Most of the soldiers’ were laid to rest held on 12^th October; the rest were held a few days later.