Malta’s WW II history trail: Have you visited the sites that made it onto Forbes’ list?
Malta has an extensive history dating back thousands of years. From the Byzantines to the Romans, the Knights, the French and the British, Malta truly has withstood the test of time. And an unmistakably important period in Maltese history is the Second World War, which has merited a fantastic feature on Forbes.
Malta’s geographical position has always attracted conquerors from all over the world, until Malta became a naval anchorage in the centre of the Mediterranean – a stronghold for the British Empire. During their time here, the British modernised the island’s fortifications first built by the Knights four centuries prior, and expanded the dockyards and ship repair facilities in the Grand Harbour.
When WWII kicked off, Malta was attacked from all sides. The Axis powers (the treaty signed between Germany, Italy and Japan), initiated an extensive bombing campaign and submarine attacks, making Malta the most heavily bombed place on Earth in WWII, leaving many locations completely devastated.
First, the forts
The Forbes article lists various locations which you can visit today, especially around the Grand Harbour, that were used to defend the island during the war. The Grand Harbour is bordered by a series of forts designed to protect both the harbour entrance and the inner harbour. These include St Elmo - the star-shaped fort in Valletta - Fort Tigne and Fort Ricasoli. Fort St Elmo stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula, which divides Marsamxett Harbour (protected by Fort Manoel), from the Grand Harbour. Further in, protecting the inner harbour, is Fort St Angelo - a bastioned fort in Birgu - opposite Valletta. These forts were all built in the 16th century, but renovated and strengthened by the British garrison.
Iconic military heirlooms
Today, Fort St Elmo houses Malta’s National War Museum, which features a large portion devoted to Malta’s role in World War II. The museum houses some of Malta’s most iconic military heirlooms, among which is the Gloster Sea Gladiator N 5520, named Faith. It was one of three now-obsolete biplanes named Faith, Hope and Charity: Charity was shot down in July 1940 and Hope was destroyed in an air raid in February 1941, with Faith being the only survivor, presented to the people of Malta by the RAF.
The Fort also houses the George Cross, awarded by King George VI: “to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history.” This was the first time that the George Cross was given to a collective group.
Underground chambers
Another fascinating legacy of Malta’s WW II experience are the Lascaris War Rooms. These rooms are an underground complex of tunnels and chambers, hollowed out of limestone. The War Rooms were used for overseeing important naval and air defence operations, and were reportedly the base for deciphering German Enigma traffic and the encoding of Ultra messages between 1939 and 1943 - isn't that fascinating?
Air raid shelters
Being the most-bombed country in the world, the islands had to take safety measures to protect the people. An extensive system of underground air raid shelters was built throughout the islands, including Birgu, Valletta, Rabat and Mellieha, apart from numerous private shelters dug by Maltese citizens. Many of these public shelters have been preserved and are now open to the public, allowing visitors to descend into the shelter, some 30 feet below the surface, and walk through the complex.
Canons for days
Next on Forbes’ WW II trail of Malta is Fort Rinella, which hosts one of the two largest front-loaded cannons in the world, weighing 100 tonnes. This fort served as a gun battery and was a military site operated by the FWA. Nowadays, it has been restored by Heritage Malta and is open to the public.
The old Opera House
And finally, last on the list is the Royal Opera House, an iconic site which stood in ruins for years after the war. During WWII, the magnificent building was devastated by German bombers. Thankfully, the ruin was later converted into an open-air theatre, which has hosted performances since 2010.
The Wirt Artna Foundation and Heritage Malta were responsible for restoring many of Malta’s important World War II sites over the years, and have done so beautifully. The island’s wartime legacy is well worth exploring!