Listen and read along to the summary of Rosalin s oral history either on the wiki or with your teacher

Transcription

1 Rosalin has recorded two oral histories. In one recording she describes living in Malta after World War 2 ended. In the second recording she retells some of her family s stories about life in Malta during World War 2. Learn more by listening to Rosalin s complete oral recordings. Malta never fed us. Listen and read along to the summary of Rosalin s oral history either on the wiki or with your teacher Rosalin was born in Malta in 1945 just after World War 2 ended. Malta is a tiny country but in World War 2 it was bombed extensively. Over 3000 bombing raids hit Malta. Both sides of the war, the Allies and the Axis, wanted Malta as a fortress because of its position in Europe. The war years were terrible. Living in Malta after the war was also awful. Even though she was very young Rosalin remembers that no one had the basics of life. There was not enough food, clothing and housing. There was nothing to buy so people stopped using money. Rosalin s family lived in a garage. The food her family ate was so poor Rosalin s curly hair turned straight! Rosalin s mother, Josephine, did her best for her family of seven children. The family s regular meal was bread soaked in olive oil spread with tomato paste. They rarely ate meat and fresh fruit and vegetables were not available. All of Malta s food had to come by boat. Rosalin played with dolls she made herself from cloth and jumping games in Malta s graveyards. Her mother was sure ghosts would disturb the family. She did not go to school because she was a girl. 1

2 The family moved to Australia as refugees and life improved. Australia seemed like a different world and Rosalin s hair turned curly again. She went to school for 3 months, the only education she has ever had. Life was better but Rosalin s father made her go to work as a cleaner when she was thirteen years old. Rosalin worked all her life, married a good man and gave her children a wonderful childhood. Rosalin s children had the education she missed. Rosalin, on the left, with her mother, baby brother and sister; a few years after World War Two ended. Only one member of Rosalin s family now lives in Malta. The rest of her family left Malta when the war ended. They started new lives in Australia and the USA. Rosalin s family has never forgotten what it was like to live in Malta during World War 2. The family stories have been passed down to the younger generation. Rosalin loves the stories about going to school in Malta during the war. Children attended school every day but lessons were held in bomb shelters. Teachers did not have teaching supplies such as books, paper, chalk, pencils and pens but they did the best they could. Children often went to school hungry because there were terrible food shortages. Rose also loves hearing about how everyone shared what they had and helped each other. When people were injured or sick friends and neighbours helped get them to a hospital. The ambulances were little vans. Driving on rough Maltese roads was hard and dangerous. Different generations of a family lived together and shared the bathroom and kitchen. In one house Rosalin s grandmother lived on one floor, her aunt lived on another level and Rosalin s parents and children lived on another. Rosalin s family remembers ordinary people shooting at the thousands of planes which flew over Malta during the war. They joke that many bombs missed Malta because it was such a small country! Rosalin is now studying Reading, Writing and Computer skills at TAFE NSW Sutherland College. 2

3 CLOZE EXERCISE Fill in the missing words from Rosalin s story. Choose words that make sense. You also need to think about correct grammar. Try to spell the words correctly. You will find it helpful to read to the end of the sentence that has a missing word. Reading an earlier part of the story may help you. Sometimes a space can have more than one correct answer. Living in Malta after World War 2 was awful. Even though she was very 1 Rosalin remembers that no one had the basics of life. There was 2 enough food, clothing and housing. There was nothing to buy so 3 stopped using money. Rosalin s family lived in a garage. The food her family 4 was so poor Rosalin s curly hair turned straight! Rosalin s 5, Josephine, did her best for her family of seven children. The family s regular 6 was bread soaked in olive oil spread with tomato paste. They 7 ate meat and fresh fruit and vegetables were not available. All of 8 food had to come by boat because most of the tiny island was rock. There 9 was no land to grow food. Rosalin played with dolls she made 10 from cloth and jumping games in Malta s graveyards. Her mother was 11 ghosts would hassle the family. She did not go to 12 because she was a girl. This was the custom when 13 was little. Only one member of Rosalin s family now 14 in Malta. The rest of her family left Malta when the war ended. They started 15 lives in Australia and the USA. 3

4 VOCABULARY and LANGUAGE When you read the story highlight or underline any words or groups of words you don t understand. The box at the side has some of the difficult words. Finished Fortress Europe Discuss the words with your teacher. Ask a classmate for help. Try to work out the meaning from the rest of the story. Look up the words in a dictionary or in a thesaurus. Remember to find the meaning that matches the context of the story. Should any of the words be added to your personal spelling list? Research the following on the internet: bombing raids, Allies, Axis, bomb shelters, food shortages. Awful Curly Graveyards Ghosts Hassle Refugees Relatives Ambulances SAYINGS and IDIOMS In her quote Rosalin says Malta never fed us. What does she mean? What is meant by the basics of life? Give examples and discuss these in class. Rosalin s family stories have been passed down. What does this mean? What else can be passed down? Almost everyone in Rosalin s family left Malta to start a new life. Why did they want to start new lives? What is the difference between younger generation and different generations? 4

5 UNDERSTANDING THE STORY Answer each question with a complete sentence or sentences. Use the story and questions to help you write answers that are grammatically correct. 1. What does Rosalin talk about in her recordings? 2. When and where was Rosalin born? 3. Describe Rosalin s childhood in Malta. 4. Why was life hard for teachers and students during World War 2 in Malta? 5. Did Maltese people help each other during World War 2 in Malta? Explain your answer. 5

6 WRITING Write a personal response to Rosalin s story about her childhood in Malta after the war. Draft and correct your writing. PERSONAL RESPONSE Write your overall reaction to the story. Use present tense. Use pronouns such as I and me because it is your impression. Refer to information in the story to explain your thoughts. 6

7 HISTORY and RESEARCH World War 2 began in 1939 and ended in Three quarters of the world s population in 61 countries was involved. World War 2 affected the lives of millions of people. About 50 million people died. Civilians suffered terribly; all over the world their homes and towns and cities were destroyed. Ordinary people lived in constant danger and basic needs such as enough food to eat and medicine were not available. The injuries suffered by ordinary people were terrible. World War 2 was the most brutal war the world has ever seen. Very bad living conditions continued for many years after the war ended. Malta suffered very much during the war because both sides wanted Malta as a fortress. Malta is in the middle of the Mediterranean Ocean and is part of the British Empire. She was a big threat because she could stop communication and supplies getting to the Axis countries in the Mediterranean. Bombing started the day after Italy declared war on Britain. Over 3000 bombing raids hit Malta from 1940 to The bombs came from Italian and German ships and planes. King George VI of Great Britain awarded the George Cross to Malta because everyone on the island was brave. The George Cross is usually given to individuals. 1. Life for Rosalin s family after the war did not improve for many years. In class discuss and research possible reasons for this. 2. Rosalin did not go to school because she was a girl. Talk about this in class and compare her situation to the experiences of your family and friends and classmates. 3. Find Malta on a map of the world either in an atlas or online. 4. If you would like to learn more about Malta during World War 2 visit: 7