Malta’s hardships and sacrifices in World War II, which won the islanders the George Cross from King George VI, will be the day’s talk at the Malta at War Museum in Vittoriosa on Sunday, where Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna will be holding an open day.
The George Cross was awarded on 15 April 1942 and Sunday will be the 65th anniversary of that day. Activities will be held between 10am and 5pm.
The Malta at War Museum is located at Couvre Porte (Advanced Gate), Vittoriosa right under the local council’s offices. This popular museum focuses on the daily life of the Maltese and their defenders during WWII. It comprises a thematic display on the subject made from mainly rare and unique period memorabilia; the viewing of the wartime documentary Malta GC and a guided tour in the vast underground air raid shelters that have recently been cleaned, reconstructed and opened to the public.
The open day will consist of guided tours, talks on wartime Malta, re-enactments of aspects from the daily life of the time and the day-long viewing of the Malta GC documentary film. Guided tours in Maltese and English and film shows will run every half hour. There will also be special hands-on sessions for children, aimed at introducing the young to the different aspects of daily life in Malta during the Blitz.
A group of wartime veterans will be in attendance to share their personal experiences with the public, especially the young. Members of the Malta Military Vehicles Club will also be exhibiting some of their restored wartime vehicles.
Throughout the day, the documentary Malta GC will be shown. The film was produced by the Crown Film Unit (CFU) in 1942 on the specific wish of King George VI who wanted documented on film the great heroism and bravery shown by the Maltese and their defenders in the face of adversity.
The CFU was the official British government body solely responsible for the production of all public documentaries at the time. In producing Malta GC, extensive use was made of footage taken by the navy and army filming units. The best artistic talent of the time was also roped in – Sir Laurence Olivier as narrator and Sir Arnold Bax, the King’s musician as composer.
The original music for this film was later presented to the people of Malta by Sir Arnold and is now kept at the National Library. The duration of the film is 30 minutes and another shorter documentary on the history of the production itself is added on by FWA.
A special licence for showing and trading this film in Malta has been obtained by FWA from the Imperial War Museum of London, where the original is kept. To avoid piracy, this film is only shown in Malta at War Museum and DVD copies can only be obtained from FWA heritage sites at Lm4.99 each or by email to: info@
wirtartna.org. To mark the 65th anniversary of the George Cross award to Malta, FWA will be offering a reduced entrance fee to this event of Lm2 per adult and children will be allowed in free of charge. Entrance and a copy of the Malta GC film on DVD will also be offered at Lm5 instead of the normal Lm8.50.
Further details are provided on www.wirtartna.org.