I was present at the Thunderflash 'incident' which happened at the Silver Dollar at the bottom of the Gut. First let me set the scene There was a group of full Cpls from the Sig & Recce Plns who used to go out together. When we finished work at 1300 hrs we wpuld go to bed and get up at 2000 hrs and go out When the gut closed we would go to the Casino at St Georges Bay because with a half crown stake you could drink until closed. We would then walk back to Barracks in time for breakfast sometimes stopping for a swim in the Army Lido.
The Group included Ian Barnacle, Malcolm Paterson, Clive Pritchard,Mick Tees,Jon Cole and a couple more who names escape me.
The night in question we were down the Gut, the US Fleet was in and the place was heaving with Yanks. We couldnt get a look in the local girls didnt want to know. So we thought we would have some fun. The silver dollar was packed must have been 100 sailors in there. The smoke was down two feet from the ceiling and two locals were hammering away on the piano and drums on the small stage. We were in possession of a thunderflash where it came from or who struck it. Anyway the silver dollar had swing doors like the Wild West Saloons. We threw it under the door and it rolled under a table. Due to so much cigarette smoke nobody noticed the smoking fuse. After 7 decs it went off. Well tables went flying the Yanks were asking for more medals. We heard this Blue wave of Maltease Coppers coming down the Gut. So we stood to one side in doorways. While the Coppers and Shore Patrol were cracking heads in the bar and outside. A job well done.
I remember the Eqyptian Queen the toilet was a bucket behind a beaded curtain.
There are two other incidents I recall which I wont go into Taffy and the Rock. Rock got the short straw. Harper the Orderly Cpl losing a bet with a Maltease lady.
Whose were the days. We always said Billy Butlin used to run the Army in Malta.