20th November 1945 is a very important day in Malta’s history books – it’s when Malta’s involvement in World War II concluded.

To commemorate this event, Facebook page Malta Audio Visual Memories took to social media to share a compilation of historic footage from that very day, 76 years ago.

As UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill had predicted, Malta was a vital asset throughout World War II thanks to its position in the middle of the Mediterranean.

This meant that the Maltese islands were the perfect stronghold from which the Allies could preserve their campaign in North Africa.

In Malta Audio Visual Memories’ video, viewers can spot a letter signed by King George VI himself in which he awards the islands with the George Cross to “bear witness to the heroism and devotion of [Malta’s] people.”

The video also shows a handful of the 10,761 Maltese buildings that were destroyed or extensively damaged throughout the war.

Whilst World War II’s end was welcomed, it also brought about economic devastation for Malta.

Even after receiving £30 million to rebuild the country, it took Malta several decades to regain a healthy economy.

Watch the video below and go back in time.