Battlefront Living History Group will host a collectively curated exhibition of authentic artefacts from the conflict on the 16t October at the Marsa Local Council premises from 9am till 6pm

‘For gallantry’ is etched onto the George Cross, a permanent symbol of the Maltese. Given ‘to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history’, the cross was awarded to the people and ‘fortress of Malta’ in 1942. Eighty years on, the cross still flies on the red and white flag.

The George Cross was born in 1940 under George VI to replace the empire gallantry medal. Although it was awarded to several individuals for distinguished service, Malta was the first to receive the award as a people. In 1999, it was also awarded to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Northern Ireland. Most recently, the British National Health service also received the cross.

A letter sits next to the medal, handwritten by the king and dated 15 April 1942. That month alone, Malta received more bombs than the total for the previous year. Malta was to suffer more than ever before under the axis air raids and the constant threat of invasion. The cross itself would reach Malta in May of the same year. After the official ceremony in Valletta, the cross then toured towns and villages around Malta. This afterlife after the presentation is precisely what Battlefront Living History Group will portray on October 16th 2022.

The cross was sewn onto the Maltese colonial flag with a blue bordering canton. Ever since, the George cross has been sutured into the symbolic repertoire of national identity. Although there have been some criticisms as to its relevance nowadays, most are very proud of the award displayed on the national flag.

The cross represents the suffering and loss of life endured by all in Malta during the second world war. It is presented as an aid to the social memory of the generations who fought back through the worst of those years. However, Malta is no longer a colonial outpost, a ‘fortress’, or under British rule. Perhaps the cross is a means through which to pin a memory against the ebb of time. If so, what war does the cross represent? What could the George Cross signify for who in the present day and the future? And as the anti-aircraft gunners during the second world war put it: Was it worth it?