A set of no less than eighty-eight stamps commemorating the 70th anniversary of the arrival at the Grand Harbour of the Santa Marija Convoy on 15 August 1942.
This heroic convoy consisted of 13 freighters and one tanker and was escorted by four aircraft carriers, two battleships, seven cruisers, 33 destroyers and several other supporting ships. Each stamp, which has a face value of €0.26, depicts one of the various ships that somehow took part in the historical operation.
The set, titled '70th Anniversary Operation Pedestal - 1942-2012', was designed by Cedric Galea Pirotta and consist of 11 sheets, each with eight different stamps.
A publication giving a detailed account of the operation by John A Mizzi and suitably illustrated is being published by Midsea Books in collaboration with MaltaPost.
Operation Pedestal highlights one of the most difficult yet glorious moments in Maltese history and is today remembered as the 'Il-Convoy ta' Santa Marija'.
Seventy years ago, in August 1942, Malta was facing the threat of starvation after two years of incessant bombing by Axis air forces in one of the most concentrated and prolonged aerial sieges of any war.
At the time, the Island was the linchpin of the battle in the Mediterranean. The fortitude of its population and its defenders earned them the personal award of the George Cross for Gallantry from King George VI in April 1942.
