In the first part of the interview, Vincent 'Censinu' Caruana started by going on a long monologue. He talked about the pre-war political situation by mentioning Neville Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, the Italian conquest of Abyssinia and the German occupation of Austria. He talked about the capitulation of France and how the Italian declaration of war by Mussolini was perceived in Malta. He remembered the first air raid, his family's hasty relocation to Siggiewi and the introduction of German bombers in January 1941.