What an incredibly brave man.
World War II left devastating effects in Malta. After constant air raids from the axis, the Maltese were almost starved to death or left injured or worse under the rubble.
However, many young Maltese men also volunteered to enlist with the British Army. One such man was Charles Andrew Mangion who joined the Royal Air Force.
He decided to go help on the front lines after he suffered an incredible tragedy when his sister, nephews and niece died due to the horrifying air raids in June of 1940.
At just 18, Charles was sent to Bournemouth for his training. Here he met an English woman and the two became engaged before he was called for service in North Africa, joining the 70th Squadron.
His role in the service was that of a rear gunner on Wellington Mark III bomber. He went on to rise to the rank of Sergeant.
Tragically, on the 8th May, 1943, Charles together with his Wellington bomber disappeared while on a mission in Tunisia and he was never heard from again.
Charles together with the other four soldiers on the same mission disappeared without a trace which, unfortunately, was a very common occurrence during those times.
This story was shared to Veterans’ Foundation by Ninu, Sergeant Mangion’s great nephew.
Thank you for your service!
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