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ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, JUDGE JOSEPH GALEA DEBONO.
As we commemorate the 80th. Anniversary of Victory in Europe day , our innermost thoughts cannot help facing the grim reality that the lessons from those difficult six years have not been learnt by humanity. Today, eighty years later, the World is racked by a number of violent conflicts which the late Pope Francis had aptly described as “World War III in bits and pieces” .
The United Nations set up in the immediate postwar years is now more impotent than ever and it cannot find support for its exhortations to stop violence due to the VETO of the Security Council being used and abused on most issues , despite the bare and flagrant breach of accepted International Law by leading and well-armed countries.
It is with these sad thoughts in mind that we strive to remember the sacrifice of so many who perished or suffered in World War II and our celebrations can never be untainted by pangs of conscience about how mankind is allowing blatant aggression and disproportionate reprisals to go on unchecked and uncensored by humanity in 2025.
“Lest we forget” is not enough. Learn from the past should be our clarion call.
The 2025 Annual Reunion last month was yet another success despite the smaller number of members who could still bring themselves to travel to MALTA G.C. The programme prepared by Pat Scott our Association Secretary was as usual well organized and the events went off well. A full report is appearing on our media. So I shall limit myself to include some photos of the highlights of the main events.
Group photo of those attending the G.C. Award Commemoration at the Saluting Battery. (Courtesy of Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna)
Reading the Prayer at the Saluting Battery.
The outgoing U.K. High Commissioner, H.E. Katherine Ward LVO OBE
Group photo with H.E. Katherine Ward LVO OBE.
Reception at AFM Officers Mess
Wreath Laying at the Anzac day Service by President, Association Chairman and Malta Branch Treasurer Vincent Bonello..
PUBLICATIONS ABOUT WARTIME MALTA.
One of our members the Gozitan historian and poet Charles Bezzina has just published a second edition in English of his original book in Maltese about THE GOZO AIRFIELD . This small but very well researched book narrates the interesting episode when , prior to the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, it was needed to have a Spitfire Wing flown by American pilots based on the small sister island of Gozo to cover the beachhead in the early stages of the invasion. At first this seemed to be an impossible task because of the very hilly nature of the Gozo landscape and other limiting factors. But the U.S. Forces came to the rescue and on June 1, 1943 E Company of the 21st. Aviation Regiment landed very heavy plant and equipment needed to level the earth and create two runways in the short time before the landings planned for early July. The book is based on local research and also on a report of this Company as well as that of the Commanding Officer of the 536th. C. A. Battallion, Anti-Aircraft which was tasked with the air-defence of the airfield during its two months of operation.
“ 1942 MALTA ON THE BRINK” is the title of another book by Jeffrey Sammut that has reached the bookstalls, detailing all the recorded air raids for the darkest year of the war. It is based on Police records and is copiously illustrated.
This work follows upon an earlier one by the same author titled : “MALTA WAR OCCURRENCES – The Police Logbooks 1940-1942.” They give a day-by-day account of the losses, casualties and damage to property resulting from enemy action.
They are a very useful aid to any researcher on the War period in the George Cross Island.
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