Did You Know: A Royal Air Force Squadron Had ‘Ara Fejn Hu’ As Their Official Slogan

If you enjoy learning fun facts to impress at parties, you’ve come to the right place. We’re about to turn things all the way up to a 10. 

During World War II, the British Royal Air Force formed a squadron that would last until 1953. Defending the island with their lives, the brave fighters of No. 185 Squadron quickly became legends in their own right – and their official tag line probably helped seal the deal with locals.

Emblazoned proudly on their official insignia is the phrase ‘Ara Fejn Hu’.

How cool is that?

According to some comments on an online post by Thomas Camilleri and Edward Said (which originally highlighted this anecdote), the phrase was used regularly by Maltese citizens when enemy bombers approached the island. 

The RAF’s squadrons would often have to head into arial dog fights against tens, if not hundreds, of enemy bombers at a time, and when the Maltese people who braved staying out of the shelters would see them flying in to defend Malta, they would point them out and exclaim: “Ara fejn hu!”

The squadron’s Hurricanes stationed in Ħal Far

No. 185 Squadron’s motto isn’t the only RAF motto in Maltese. The RAF’s base in Luqa also used the local language in their official insignia, proudly reminding everyone their headquarters remained a “mitjar qatt mirbuħ” (an unconquered airfield).

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