The British Forces may have left Malta almost 40 years ago but ex-servicemen and their families living in Malta still have a community looking after them.
Tucked away at the bottom of Melita Street in Valletta is the headquarters of the Malta branch of the Royal British Legion, which has been looking after the welfare of former servicemen and women and their immediate families for several decades.
The RBL has around 400 members in Malta, and for the past nine years has been the sole provider of welfare support and care for veterans after the British High Commission in Malta closed down its own office for ex-servicemen.
The bar and restaurant in Melita Street is more than just an eatery - it is a veritable headquarters and community centre for the members who congregate there along with the many foreign visitors who always find a warm welcome of gratitude for their contribution in the Forces. Although of course, you don’t have to be a veteran to dine there.
The Royal British Legion was set up in 1921, bringing together four national organisations of ex-servicemen that had been established after World War I. Its aim remains to care for the everyday needs of veterans and their families, whether it is to help those wounded in service to find employment or assist a war widow to bring up her children. Today there are 2,500 national and international branches including the one in Malta.
The Royal British Legion Malta Branch
RBL (Malta) treasurer John L. Peel explains that the committee works tirelessly and, above all, voluntarily to help veterans and their families. Himself a former Royal Air Force sergeant in stores for 22 years including 14 years as a Welfare Officer, John has been dealing with welfare cases for RBL (Malta) for the past nine years.
“It is hard work but it is always interesting and I get a lot of satisfaction out of it,” says John, who turns 80 later this year. “I am lucky that I am still able to do this work. The Maltese are not interested in helping out purely on a voluntary basis. They ask what would they get out of it. Well, you don’t do this for the money. Just for the satisfaction of helping others.”
The help offered varies widely and is of mainly a practical nature. “Sometimes the High Commission would call us to inform us that there is an ex-serviceman who has passed away, his body is lying in the mortuary but he has no relatives here in Malta. We step in and make all the necessary arrangements to ensure he is buried in full dignity in the services grave,” explains John.
The Royal British Legion Malta Branch with the President of Malta
He continues to explain that the RBL (Malta) also helps Forces widows who may be elderly and require assistance with anything from filling in application forms or other official documentation to arranging for a wheelchair or a stair lift to be installed at home. “The RBL gives them a sense of community, they know there is someone looking after them. When you do something that makes them happy, you’re happy too. It's about keeping the Services together,” says John.
The RBL (Malta) was actually disbanded some nine years ago after accusations of mismanagement of funds, however, keen ex-services officers insisted on keeping the regional branch going with new management and a promise to ensure that funds are handled in a more professional manner.
Today, the association continues to thrive, and regularly organises key annual events in honour of ex-servicemen including the Remembrance ceremony in November and the annual Poppy appeal.
The bar and the main hall adjacent at 111, Melita Street are housed in a 300-year old former armoury and blacksmiths forge owned by the Knights of St John. The vaulted ceiling of the hall still bears the original rings believed to have been part of a pulley system for the carriages. The door is also original, and is an impressive six inches thick. And if you fancy a round of snooker, you'll be playing on a piece of history - the snooker table was manufactured in Edinburgh in June 1899, and is still in use every day. On the walls, an extensive collection of photographs and commemorative plaques from World War II remind you of the history and mission of this place.