While strolling along the seaside walk below Fort St. Elmo in Valletta, near the breakwater, you'll reach St. Lazarus' Bastion, a popular spot for swimmers. Here, you may notice a room marked ‘Boom Defence’ above the door. Curious about what's inside? Read on!

The ‘Boom Defence’ was a metal net suspended underwater to protect the Grand Harbour from any surface or underwater attack, being lifted and lowered as required. This system was built back in 1909 while the breakwater was being built, but was only put to use in 1935 during the Abyssinia Crisis, during which the British forces in Malta were under the threat of the Italian army.

Historically, this room was the place where the winch connected to the protective net was housed. However, as seen in a photo posted on social media, the room is now filled with memorabilia, tools and even a small boat collected over the years in Malta’s rich marine history.

Have you ever seen the Boom Defence room?