The Duke of Gloucester and Din l-Art Ħelwa recently celebrated the unveiling of a commemorative monument to Pte Charles McCorrie VC, who died in Malta in 1857 and is buried at the Msida Bastion Garden. This was a singular moment in the history of the Msida Bastion Garden of Rest, which is the final resting place of those members of the Protestant communities who died in Malta between 1803 and 1857.
In the presence of her father, Judge Maurice Caruana Curran, founder president of Din L-Art Ħelwa, executive president Simone Mizzi greeted His Royal Highness at the Msida Bastion Garden, where the elegant neo-classic monuments commemorate an era marked by extraordinary people: A Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, a President of her Majesty’s Judges, a Governor of Hong Kong, the father of the Maltese language Mikiel Anton Vassalli and the many normal people who wove our Anglo Maltese heritage. Among the unsung heroes is Pte Charles McCorrie, the third recipient of the Victoria Cross to have died in Malta.
Mrs Mizzi addressed the gathering by saying: “To have HRH The Duke of Gloucester, notwithstanding his crowded time table, honouring us with his presence and unveiling this monument, is a singular honour none of us could ever have hoped for. Least of all was it expected by Pte Charles McCorrie from County Antrim, Ireland, who lies today, not under a British heaven, but beneath this splendid Maltese sky, in a corner of a foreign field that is, and will be, forever England.”
Dr Alexander Welsh, who has been instrumental in the restoration of the garden, then gave a brief history of the burials, recounting, in particular, the bravery of Pte. Charles McCorrie, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for heroic action during the Crimean war where he was known to have caught and thrown back a live shell from his post thereby saving the life of many comrades.
The Duke of Gloucester had words of appreciation for Malta’s rich architectural heritage, stating that: “It is to be remembered that heritage is not just about buildings but mainly about the people who built and used them.”
He had words of praise for the bravery of the Maltese people and for this young soldier whose deed was being commemorated. A lone piper sounded the Lament while Commander Richard Brooksbank recited the Ode to Remembrance, after which a minute’s silence was observed.
Mrs Mizzi thanked British High Commissioner Louise Stanton, who saw the importance of the recognition of this unsung hero. She also expressed gratitude to the HSBC Malta Foundation for their generosity in making the memorial possible, to the Victoria Cross Association and the George Cross Island Association for honouring this event with their presence, to Julian Alexander Gatt of the Australia Victoria Cross Society for the donation of the replica Victoria Cross. Mrs Mizzi also thanked the sculptor Joseph Debono who produced the monument, the Landscape Consortium for their timely offer of collaboration, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna for the kind loan of the vintage Union Jack and DLH’s Council, staff and garden volunteers, ably led by Mary Aldred, for their continued collaboration.