Soon of Hector and Emily Cali) is a World War 2 Vet.
Not quite sixteen, at the invitation of his mother's sister Sarah Alchorn, Joe departed Malta overland to
England, to continue his education at St.John's College.
That year was 1936, the clouds of WW2 had started to gather over Europe. Months later he was enrolled as a Royal Air Force boy apprentice for a possible military career. Coming of age, he was then transfered for active RAF service.
Hitler's might started to invade neighbouring countries, resulting with Great Britain and France declaring war against Germany, no sooner than the ink was dry, Great Britain shipped out an Expedition Force to France, Joe Warrington was a number of that force.
No sooner than their landing in France, the war department ordered that force to retreat to the shores of,
Dunkirk, Joe survived being captured by the advancing German Panzer divisions, and survive that hasty allied Dunkirk exudus towards the shores of England for regrouping.
From that regrouping, Joe was posted to South Africa, Sudan, and finaly to Eygpt. To his delight and possible later regret, he was posted to his now beleaguered birth place.
March 20,1942 at Alexandria he embarked on that historical fast auxillery merchant ship Breconshire, that had made a few solo runs to Malta with emergency supplies.
This time the Breconshire was one of the four merchant ships laden with supplies to join the convoy to Malta, the other three were the "Pampas","Clan Campbell" and "Talbot", which at all cost, had to reach starving and near death Malta. That convoy was named "MW10", and escorted by the Royal Navy's five cruisers and seventeen destroyers and submarines.
The Italian navy attacked "MW10" with 1 battleship, 3 Cruisers, ten destroyers, submarines and
supported by the Italian and German airforces. This enemy's armada was determind, not to let those four crucial merchant ships reach Malta... thus the name and start of "The Second Sea Battle of Sirte", which has to go down in the anals of WW2's sea warfare in Europe and Mediterranean, as the mother of all sea battles.... the "Pampas" and "Talbot" made it to the grand harbour with sad ending, Breconshire
not far from Malta, was hit by a bomb that found its way to the engine room, it had to be towed to Marsaxlokk Bay, where it was beached to save its cargo.
So Joe a non swimmer survived that heroic Alexandria-Malta convoy while manning a gun on that ship. And after six years he was reunited with his mother Emily Cali Warrington and his two brothers Maurice (Navy) and Alan (RAF).
Again Joe bet the odds of survival, this time during the massive bombing at RAF Station Luqa, and like all Maltese, on his days off at home or while having a beer at the Monico Bar in Valletta.
At age eleven, Joe lost his father, his childhood mentor was his granfather George Warrington, who also witnessed action in the Boer War and China's Boxer Rebellion.
Joe has two daughters Denise and Roma, and five grandchildren, happily retired from the RCEME and CIDA's two positions in Africa. Presently living in Ottawa, being pumpered by his second wife Gilda, his daughter Roma and step daughter Paola Lobos.
By his brother Alan Cali.
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