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to take the bus rather than a taxi as it is
not only cheaper, but you get to see more
of Malta which is so beautiful. It was easy
to find our way around Malta and the
bus stopped two minutes away from the accommodation. Captain Gurung had already explored the surrounding vicinity and facilities of the hotel that we would be utilising for the battlefield study. The hotel was beautiful, with a spectacular view of the sea. The breath-taking scenery reminded me so much of the Caribbean with the sea and sun in all its glory and splendour. I did not want to leave, and I had just arrived!
After settling into our hotel, we decided to explore more of our surroundings discovering nearby supermarkets, pharmacies, local shops, and restaurants. I was excited to explore the local vendors and facilities such as the local supermarket as there were a range of snacks that reminded me of the Caribbean. Back at the hotel we planned and confirmed our timings and activities for the next day before we retired for the night.”
On Tuesday 20th, Day two, we met David Vassallo (Retd Col RAMC) and the other military veterans and members of the George Cross Island Association (GCIA). We boarded the coach where formal introductions were made as we headed
off to the Aviation Museum. Enroute to the museum we received a brief education of Malta and were shown the university and the hospital. It was nice to meet and make new friends with the friendly and welcoming members of the GCIA. The aviation museum was set up in 1994 to create a unique
display of exhibits relating to the history of Malta’s aviation. At the museum, we met the founders and had a little private tour and brief history lesson about the exhibits. It was very inspiring to see the work and effort that was put in to restore a variety of aircrafts that were used during WW1 such as the spitfire MK, Hawker Hurricane MK, and the Sea Hawk. We then got seated at the Chapel within the museum for a remembrance service where we paid our respects to those who have served and lost their lives in WWII.
Wednesday 21st allowed us to explore Valletta. This was one of the historical areas of Malta that could not be missed from
the tour. We quickly realised that multiple cruise ships disembarked from the capital on Wednesdays, making it very crowded.
To avoid encountering these crowds on the Battlefield Tour we decided to plan to visit Valletta on a different day of the week. This was the site where we got a personal tour of Fort St Elmo by the curator. We got access
to behind the scenes of the National War Museum as well due to David and his heavy involvement in Malta’s Heritage as he works behind the scenes with the curator to help build exhibits. We were able to have direct communication with the leading Points of Contact for Maltese Heritage as well as the curators.
David Vassallo guided us around and we timed the essential walks. The medical cover was much easier to recce as we had an ex RAMC medical officer who had a colourful medical background and experience with medical planning over his career. He knew Malta inside out.
During the recce we established strong relationships with many individuals who imparted invaluable knowledge to aid
us in our planning of the Battlefield Tour. They made the time very enjoyable, with behind-the-scenes access and contacts
we could draw on for these experiences on the Battlefield Tour in September 2023. The recce allowed us to see the importance of building relationship with people as we were able to get into many restricted areas of many attractions.
I would like to say thank you to CDO (A) Col Tim Davies and Maj (Retd) John Sharp who supported this tour from start to finish.
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