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Crest of King’s Own Malta Regiment of Militia on Lance Corporal Abela’s headstone

In 1889, at the same time as the forming of the Royal Malta Artillery, approval was obtained for the
forming of a militia regiment, the Royal Malta Regiment of Militia. This regiment was very popular and

in a very short time so many men had been recruited that a second battalion was formed.

On 14 January 1915, a contingent of 560 officers and men from both battalions, all volunteers, and

including Lance Corporal E Abela, left Malta to serve in Cyprus on garrison duties, under the command
of Lieutenant Colonel Charles B Sciortino. Thousands of people had thronged the streets of Floriana

and the capital city Valletta to see them off, as they marched to their troopship in the Grand Harbour,
accompanied by the massed bands of the garrison. There were two doctors in the contingent, Captain

P Micallef, M.D., and Surgeon Major R Samut M.D., Ch.M. Their Chaplain was Rev J Verzin, A.C.E.
In Cyprus ‘the Maltese contingent rendered excellent service and Surgeon Major Robert Samut was given

command of the Forest Military Hospital at Limassol.’ 1

1 Wismayer, Captain J M (1989), The History of the King’s Own Malta Regiment (Valletta: Said International Ltd).

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