The Malta at War Museum in Birgu, is undoubtedly Malta’s best presented testimonial of the great ordeal suffered by the Island during the Second World War. The site focuses on the daily life of wartime Malta telling the story of how this spec of an island managed to withstand one of the fiercest onslaughts in modern history. It offers a unique experience to the visitor through a combination of original film-footage, expert guiding and much in the way of original artefacts and memorabilia, all of which are nicely presented in a new modern setting.
The museum is housed in an old 18thcentury military barracks built in the historic walls of Vittoriosa (Birgu). Throughout the blitz, these premises served first as a Police headquarters for the whole of the Three Cities and later combined all the essential wartime civilian services. Right underneath, some 40 feet into the live rock is a huge maze of tunnels and galleries which doubled as an air raid shelter for scores of people, and as an underground Civil Defence centre. In its hey-day the latter was equipped with a surgery, a birth-room, a chapel and various underground offices from which work by the various wartime government bodies housed in them went on unabated.
The underground galleries and museum were painstakingly restored by volunteers from Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna,the Malta Heritage Trust, a non-governmental charity with the kind assistance of the Malta Tourism Authority and the Birgu Local Council.
Malta G.C. - the first ever film-documentary on Malta
Following almost two years of relentless siege, the Maltese islands were on the brink of complete starvation in 1942. Britain and her allies were doing all they could to keep the island fortress afloat but this was costing them dear. The possibility of invasion looked imminent. Against this background, His Majesty King George VI awarded the George Cross to Malta and her people. This was the highest British civilian decoration for bravery. Just prior to this, he also muted his specific wish to have the great ordeal that Malta was going through at the time documented on film for the world to see.
The task fell on the Crown Film Unit who with the help of the filming units of the navy and air force produced ‘Malta G.C.’ - the first ever dedicated film documentary on Malta. For this purpose the best talent in the industry was called in, including Sir Laurence Olivier as narrator and Sir Arnold Bax, the King’s Musician, to produce the music. The production was completed late in 1942 and was presented to the people of Malta the following year. Sir Arnold Bax also presented the original score of music to the nation. It remains extant at the National Library of Malta. The film was shown all over the free world including the United States and the Dominions where it was met with great acclaim.
Following the end of the war, this unique movie passed into oblivion and after many years locked away it is being shown again solely at the Malta at War Museum, thanks to the Imperial War Museum of London.
Each viewing lasts for 30 minutes. DVD copies of this movie are sold exclusively from this museum to safeguard copyright obligations.
Visitors Can:
- Explore the extensive maze of rock-hewn tunnels and galleries some 40 feet underground, once home to hundreds of islanders during the dark days of the blitz.
- Visit the overlying museum which contains an impressive collection of original memorabilia from the period.
- Watch a 30-minute original wartime movie on Malta’s role in WWII.
- Learn how the air raid shelters were laboriously excavated by hand into the live rock, at times by ordinary people using what scant primitive tools that they could lay their hands on and how people lived in them.
- Experience even if for a while the hardships of what life was like under siege.