The ANZAC experience in Malta is a set of fourself-guided tours to the principal sites associatedwith the personnel of the Australian and NewZealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during, mainly, theFirst World War.These tours will show you where wounded An-zacs where hospitalised, convalesced, were enter-tained, and the locations where those who losttheir personal battles are buried.Tours may be followed in one of two ways: circu-larly, ending where they begin, or in a linear fash-ion. The walking man (_) and car (%)pictograms denote travel directions on foot or by

car, whilst the reading man (R) indicates infor-mation about the locale and provides historicalinsights. A map is recommended for car tours,otherwise one is not necessary.The tours also highlight points of interest on theislands – places where recovering servicemenand off duty personnel may have visited, and socan you.

The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 1

The ANZACexperience in Malta

Tour 3 - RecoveryBirgu, Cottonera, Kalkara andRinella

Mode: Circular, on foot and(mostly by) carStart: Advance Gate, BirguDistance: 8.5kms, excludingwandering off-route in BirguDuration: approx 2.5hrs, in-cluding tour of Birgu but exclud-ing museum visits

1 Advance Gate 350m2 Il-Pjazza tal-Belt Vittoriosa 260m3 Malta Maritime Museum 1,500m4 St Edward’s College 790m5 Kalkara Arch 970m

6 Villa Bighi 460m7 Fort Ricasoli 500m8 Fort Rinella 1,050m9 Smart City 1,560m10 Kalkara Naval Cemetery 1,140m11 Kalkara - three trees

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The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 2

The starting point is the Ad-vance Gate in Birgu(35˚53’8”N, 14˚31’21”E). You’llfind a small car park opposite.RWhen the Order of St Johntook possession of the islands in1530 the knights based them-selves in Birgu, in preference toMalta’s capital – Mdina.Birgu soon became the admin-istrative centre of the islandand, after the fall of Fort StElmo in what is now Valletta,bore the brunt of the siege laidby the Ottoman Turks in 1565.In recognition of its valourBirgu was given the honourabletitle of Città Vittoriosa – the Vic-torious City.After the Great Siege Birgu’sdefences were rebuilt, and whatwe see today is the product ofmore than a century of modifi-cations.Three gates – all set at right an-gles to each other - guard theentrance to the town; the first isAdvance Gate, also known asthe Gate of Aragon. Built in1722 it was adorned with mag-nificent engravings that werepartially damaged during therising against the French in1798.Immediately past the entrance

is the Malta at War Museum.Housed in a wartime police sta-tion the museum combines apermanent exhibition on the

Second Word War and a vast airraid shelter. A visit also in-cludes the viewing of Malta G.C.,produced in 1942 by the CrownFilm Unit on the wishes of KingGeorge VI “who, impressed bythe super human resistance ofthe island against great odds,wanted the whole world to learnabout it”. The film was producedafter he awarded the GeorgeCross to Malta.The shelter beneath is a mazeof tunnels and chambers thatare more than a kilometre longand could accommodate up to500 people.The museum showcases an im-pressive collection of periodmemorabilia and illustrateshow shelters were dug.Just past the museum, thegallery on the right was re-cently modernised and nowhouses the town’s library and aconference hall. The ditch onthe left doubled as SenatorGracchus’s (played by Derek Ja-cobi) garden in the 2000 epicGladiator, starring RussellCrowe.Couvre Porte, reached by ashort bridge, is the second gateand was built between 1716 and1730.Finally, facing what looks like acourtyard is the Gate ofProvence. Also known as theMain Gate it is the original,main portal to Birgu._ As you exit the Gate ofProvence you’ll face Triq il-Vittmi tal-Porvlista, turn rightand then left into Triq San Du-minku. Walk down it, passingthe Inquisitor’s Palace – now amuseum and the only inquisi-tor’s palace in the world that isopen to the public.For a short while, from Decem-ber 1826 to about 1835, thepalace was a British regimentalhospital for troops stationed inthe Cottonera area.Farther along you will reachBirgu’s main square, il-Pjazzatal-Belt Vittoriosa.It is worth taking the time towander around Birgu. Beyondthe square you’ll come acrossthe various auberges of theknights and the Order’s originalhospital, now a nunnery.

Terence Mirabelli

Birgu’s Advance Gate is the starting point forthis tour

Birgu’s oldest recorded building was aPhoenician temple dedicated to thegoddess Astarte, located at the penin-sula’s tip. This was succeeded by aGreek shrine to Hera and later by aRoman temple to Juno. Over this tem-ple, in 828, the Arabs built a fortress. Nearly 400 years later it becameknown as Castrum Maris, the castle bythe sea. Eventually becoming knownsimply as il Castello. In 1530 GrandMaster Philippe de l’Isle Adam took upresidence in the Castello, renamedFort St Angelo.The town that grew beyond its wallsbecame known as il Borgo del Castelloor, in Maltese, Birgu (meaning town).Birgu has been a populated centre formillennia and remains one of the mostdensely inhabited areas on the islands.In mediaeval times it welcomed Vene-tians, Pisans, Genoese, Aragonese andCastilians who introduced the cult ofSt Lawrence. The church dedicated tohim was Malta’s first parish and datesfrom 1090, when Count Roger of Nor-mandy invaded Malta and overthrewthe Arabs.St Lawrence originally served as theconventual church of the Order of StJohn before St John’s Co-Cathedralwas built in Valletta. The present church is a fine exampleof baroque design. The area in front ofSt Lawrence was used as a graveyardduring the siege and later St Joseph’schapel and the Crucifix chapel werebuilt on the burial site.A small museum, entrance through

Triq San Lorenzo, is located next tothe parish church where de Valette’shat and sword are showcased.

Birgu may not have played a part in the healing of wounded ser-vicemen in WWI, but it no doubt welcomed recovering soldiers toits bars and cafes from the (reasonably) nearby hospitals.Birgu did, however, have a major role in WWII. It was here thatthe Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet had its headquarters, inFort St Angelo. Consequently, it suffered heavy bombing and be-cause of its proximity to the dockyard.Yet it is still studded with fine examples of mediaeval architec-ture. Historic buildings that were damaged during the war, particu-larly along the waterfront, have been restored. And the town onceagain is well on its way to a new era of prosperity and is certainlyworth a visit - if only to see how its population survived the aerialbombardments.

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Back at il-Pjazza tal-Belt Vitto-riosa, head for the two bollards,behind and to the left of the vic-tory column and to the left ofTriq Nestu Laviera. Go down thestairs to the parish church ofBirgu, dedicated to St Lawrence.At the foot of the stairs thechurch will be on your left, theFreedom Monument – that com-memorates the departure ofBritish forces from Malta on 31March 1979 – and DockyardCreek in front of you. Walk to-wards the creek and turn right,under the archway, and intowhat was a Royal Navy base.Just past the entrance you’llsee the Malta Maritime Mu-seum, the giveaway is the an-chor by the entrance.R Housed in the former navalbakery, the museum chartsMalta’s maritime history fromprehistory to the present. It’sworth a visit.Past the parade of eateries, andat the tip of the peninsulastands Fort St Angelo. From1801 to 1912 it was used by theBritish Army as barracks, theRoyal Navy then took it overand designated it a stone frigateknown as HMS Egmont but in1933 it was renamed HMS StAngelo. During WWII it suffered69 direct hits. The fort ceasedto be a “ship” in 1979 when itwas handed to the Maltese gov-

ernment. At the end of 1998 thegovernment granted the Orderof St John the upper part ofFort St Angelo, including theGrand Master’s House and theChapel of St Anne, with limitedextraterritoriality; meaningthat part of the fort is not Mal-tese territory._ Head back to your car. Thenext stop will be the former Cot-tonera Hospital.% Drive up Triq it-8 Ta’ Dicem-bru, at the roundabout take thethird exit into Triq il-Gublewtal-Fidda. The bastions of theSanta Margherita Lines will beon your right. At the nextroundabout, take the first exit –you are now driving up TriqKottonera towards Notre DameGate, also known as ZabbarGate.Just before reaching the gate,turn left into Triq San Dwardu.The building on your right is StEdward’s College, formerly Cot-tonera Military Hospital(35˚52’55”N, 14˚31’44”E).R In the mid-19th centurythere were just four militaryhospitals on the islands, andthese were considered “unsatis-factory”. A 1863 report to theBritish parliament by the Bar-rack and Hospital Improve-ments Commission, titled TheSanitary Conditions and Im-provements of the Mediter-

ranean Station, recommendedthat two hospitals be built, onein Valletta and the other in Cot-tonera. Florence Nightingale, who hadvisited Malta on her way toCrimea in 1854, endorsed this.The Valletta hospital was neverbuilt, however, on 16 November1870 land was bought near

Cottonera was a state-of-the-art hospital, considered one of the best in southern Europe. When it opened in 1873 it had just 148 beds in fourwards, by 1916 there were 802 beds available

Courtesy St Edw

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At the end of 2014 St Edward’s Collegeunveiled a permanent exhibition high-lighting the history of the building andthe role it played as the Cottonera Mil-itary Hospital, with an emphasis onthe First World War.The display may be seen by appoint-ment. Call 27881199 or email market-ing@stedwards.edu.mt.

Terence Mirabelli

The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 4

Notre Dame Gate and the Cot-tonera hospital got the goahead.Designed by the Royal Engi-neers, the new hospital wasbuilt with wards occupying twoend-to-end pavilions with largeverandas for ventilation and anadministration block in be-tween. “The kitchen and storeswere housed in outbuildings be-hind the hospital, so that therewas nothing in the hospitalproper except the sick and whatwas immediately needed fortheir treatment and nursing, asproposed by Nightingale. Hotand cold running water was laidthroughout the building1.“The hospital was built onthree floors, with two largewards each containing 32 beds,and two two-bedded wards forspecial cases on each of the firstand second floors. There wereanother two wards in the base-ment, one for prisoners and theother for patients with conta-gious diseases. A day convales-cence room was located on thesecond floor. The ground floorwas mainly taken up with wait-

ing rooms and surgeries.“In line with the commission’sfindings and Nightingale’s pro-posals, great emphasis wasplaced on ventilation. Running

the full length of the mainwards and the ground floorwere verandas nine feet wide,which allowed for the free circu-lation of fresh air while at thesame time providing shelterfrom the sun and rain. Thewards opened onto the veran-

das via large windows extend-ing to within 18 inches of theceiling”.Cottonera was a state-of-the-art hospital, meeting all the

concerns highlighted in thecommission’s report and wassoon considered one of the besthospitals in southern Europe.An outbuilding, formerly apowder magazine and referredto as the barrack room, had asanitary annexe provided andwas converted into a ward inWWI. It was used for isolationpurposes and, as the needarose, as a ward for prisoners ofwar. “This building was con-structed between 1719 and 1745as part of the Cottonera Lines.These fortifications, which formthe eastern perimeter of theCottonera Hospital grounds,were built on the orders ofGrand Master Nicolas Cotoner…Construction, which began in1670, was spread over decadesand was never fully complete”1.Cottonera Hospital – that cost£21,000 to build, including theprice of the land – opened on 28August 1873 with 148 beds andwas originally intended for regi-ments serving in the Cottoneradistrict. However, just sixmonths before it opened, on 1March, the system of regimen-tal hospitals was abolished. Pa-tients would now be treated ingeneral military hospitals andCottonera Military Hospitaltook on the role of a generalhospital.At the outbreak of the war Cot-

Sick and wounded arriving at Cottonera Hospital. It retained its position as a specialist centrefor both surgical and the more serious medical conditions until the end of the war

Courtesy Jo

hn Mizzi Estate

Ward Four at Cottonera Hospital with its large windows, as recommended by FlorenceNightingale. Great emphasis was placed on ventilation for rapid recovery

Richard Ellis Archive Malta

The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 5

tonera Hospital had 167 bedsand by April 1915 the ‘beddage’had been increased to 277 byusing the verandas and theRoyal Army Medical Corps’ bar-rack room (today it’s a chapel).This was still insufficient andanother 37 beds were added inthe summer.Many of the stories of Cotton-era Hospital are sad like Corpo-ral Howard McKern’s of ACompany, 4th Battalion, 1st In-fantry Brigade, Australian Im-perial Force. Shrapnel hadfractured the 21-year oldfarmer’s left leg in combat atLone Pine. On 12 August 1915he was transferred to Maltafrom the 1st Australian Casu-alty Clearing Station on Lem-nos. Four days later he diedfrom blood poisoning and gasgangrene and is buried at thePieta Military Cemetery.But there are also heart-warm-ing stories, such as this one toldby the Rev Albert MacKinnon inMalta The Nurse of the Mediter-ranean.“Another lad had a strangestory to tell, and the woundedmen beside him were able tocorroborate his statement. Afierce battle was raging, and inface of overwhelming numbersthe British force was retiring totheir trenches. Suddenly the ladheard the cry of a wounded mancalling for water. He stoppedand stooped over the prostrateform. Meanwhile bullets werewhizzing on every side. Quicklyhe unslung his water bottle andheld it to the other’s parchedlips.“‘Only drink half,’ he said; ‘Imay yet need the other half my-self.’“Then, taking pity on the

wounded man, and knowingthat it would likely mean deathto be left out there exposed tothe enemy’s fire, he called acomrade and asked him to givehim a hand in trying to carrythe helpless soldier to shelter.Together they staggered undertheir load, the target now ofmany bullets. At last theyreached the trench, and simplyrolled their living burden over,then hastened to spring afterhim. At that instant a shellcaught the rescuer on the shoul-der, shattering the bone, and hefell beside the man he hadhelped.“His prophecy was true; heneeded the other half of the bot-tle.“Days passed, during which thenarrator of the story was car-ried down to the beach, put onboard ship, and brought toMalta. He was taken to Cotton-era Hospital, and it was therethat I found him, and that thestrange sequel of the story tookplace.“One day a wounded soldier,who is now convalescent, en-tered the ward. Suddenly hestopped in surprise at the firstbed on his left, and looked curi-ously at the pale face on the pil-low.“‘Why, you are my rescuer!’ heexclaimed with delight; ‘theman who gave me that drink,which I will never forget, andwhich I can never repay.’“They did not know eachother’s names, but that mat-tered little, blood had cementeda friendship stronger thandeath. The half-bottle of waterand the heroic deed are alreadyreaping their reward in life’srichest gift of a loyal comrade-

ship”2.Meanwhile, the number of sickand wounded arriving from Gal-lipoli was on the increase andstill more beds were required.Not just here, but in all hospi-tals on the island. CottoneraHospital expanded to 314 beds,and by October 1916 “a furtherexpansion to 802 beds wasmade by tentage”.“Cottonera retained its positionas a specialist centre for bothsurgical and the more seriousmedical conditions up to theend of the Great War. It was alsoa referral centre for diseases ofthe eye, and a mental clinic wasstarted there. It housed one ofthe five leading radiology de-partments and one of the sixwell-equipped and well-staffedlaboratories”1.Cottonera Military Hospitalwas closed in 1920 and was re-placed by a newer, purpose-builtmilitary hospital at Mtarfa. Thebuilding and land were leased toSt Edward’s College on 29 May1929. The new school, foundedby Lady Strickland was to be aCatholic college for Malteseboys, run on the lines of aBritish public school. The col-lege admitted the first studentsin October 1929 (see the side-bar on the following page).% Continue driving down TriqSan Dwardu. Ignore the first in-tersection that indicates a rightturn to Kalkara; however, at thenext mini roundabout take aright, go through the arch, mak-ing for the Kalkara seafront.Drive around the bay and up thehill, following the signs for FortRinella.At the crest of the hill, the roadcurves and (on your left) you’llsee three large buildings with

Like almost all other military hospitals, Cottonera eventually had to resort to tents. By 1916 it had 802 beds, most under canvas. Today, a sportscomplex stands on the site of the tented hospital

Courtesy St Edw

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The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 6

Doric columns. This is the for-mer Royal Naval Hospital Bighi(35˚53’34”N, 14˚31’31”E).Park here. The main, central,building is now known as VillaBighi and is the headquarters ofHeritage Malta – the quango re-sponsible for museums andarcheological sites.R Although construction of thehospital began in 1830, thechoice of the site had been iden-tified in 1803 by Dr John Snipe.He had been instructed by LordNelson to find a suitable loca-tion for a naval hospital so as“not to have thrown the troubleof attending our seamen on themedical skill of the Army”.Dr Snipe travelled to Maltaaboard HMS Narcissus and on 9December 1803 sent the follow-ing report to Nelson: “My Lord,In addition to my letter of the7th instant, I beg leave to ac-quaint Your Lordship that, withSir Alexander Ball [the firstBritish Civil Commissioner inMalta], I have examined thePalace of Bighay which is a mostdesirable situation for a NavalHospital, in Summer it is cooledby a refreshing sea breeze, andin Winter perfectly dry. A con-venient landing place, close tothe Palace, and sufficient

Ground belonging to it, in a highstate of cultivation, to produceabundance of vegetables for theuse of the sick, and if Lemonand Orange trees were planted,the Fleet, on this station, mightbe amply supplied with thoseantiscorbutic fruit. I carefullyexamined every spot in andabout the Harbour of Malta, andthere is no situation so well cal-culated for a Naval Hospital asBighay, it being nearly insu-lated, and some distance fromany other houses. The presentbuilding is in want of much re-pair, and although it has the ap-pearance, from the sea, of beingvery extensive, there is very lit-tle room within the walls, andcould not accommodate aboveone hundred and sixty patients.If it is the intention of Govern-ment to have a permanentNaval Hospital at Malta, andproperly prepared for everycausality a Fleet is liable to,there ought to be a Hospital ca-pable of receiving four or fivehundred patients, and if Bighayis the place fixed upon, therewill be required two wings to bebuilt to the present Palace, eachcapable of holding a hundredand twenty patients, besidesStorehouses, Kitchen, Dispen-sary, Wash-houses, etc. There isno part of the Service that re-quires more to be regarded thanthe choice of a proper situationfor a Hospital, and the rightmanagement of it, on which the

health and strength of a Fleet somuch depends, for in wet andunwholesome seasons, if any in-fectious diseases get in into theHospital, which probably mighthave been prevented by propercare, they often weaken a fleetmore than the sword of theenemy”3.The palace Dr Snipe referred towas a villa originally owned bythe knight Giovanni Bichi in thelate-1600s.It was not until 1830 thatworks began on the new hospi-tal, designed by Colonel (laterMajor General) Sir George Whit-more of the Royal Engineers.Whilst digging the foundations,workmen uncovered someEgyptian type stele that wereeventually transferred to theBritish Museum. The Com-mander-in-Chief of the NavalForces and Commissioner of theNavy in the MediterraneanVice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Mal-colm laid the foundation stoneon 23 March 1830. The stonewas adjusted into place with asilver trowel in the northeastcorner of the building after goldand silver coins of the reigningsovereign were deposited underit.Construction was completedtwo years later at a cost of£20,000. Bighi was describedas being “capable of containing250 patients having two largeand four small wards, besidesrooms for officers, in each pavil-

Lady Strickland,Countess dellaCatena, was thesecond wife ofGerald Strickland,6th Count dellaCatena, and 1stBaron Strickland.Strickland, whowas born on 24May 1861 in Valletta, was a Malteseand British politician and peer. Heserved as Governor of the Leeward Is-lands from 1902 to 1904. He was thenappointed Governor of Tasmania, andserved there from 1904. In 1909 hewas named Governor of Western Aus-tralia and held the post until 1913,whereupon he was appointed Governorof New South Wales.Strickland returned to Malta in 1917and 10 years later his party won the1927 general elections and he becameprime minister until June 1930. Hedied in 1940.

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“The Palace of Bighay...is a most desirable situation for a Naval Hospital, in Summer it iscooled by a refreshing sea breeze, and in Winter perfectly dry”. It was a hospital for 138 years

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The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 7

ion. One of the best things in theestablishment is a corridor, tenfeet wide and one hundred andsixty feet long, which runsthrough the centre of each wingventilating it in all directions4.A surgical, also known as theGeneral Hospital Block, and azymotic block, for acute infec-tious diseases, were built in1901 and 1903 respectively.The cot lift was also built in

1903.Fast forward to May 1915,when the number of arrivingsick and wounded from Gallipolirapidly outnumbered the avail-able hospital beds, “all existingnaval and military beds werepooled and made available foreither service, depending onneed.“The Royal Naval HospitalBighi was thus able to release200 beds for the first influx ofpatients from Gallipoli”5.Soon it, too, had to accommo-date patients in verandas, “cor-

ridors and ditches”.During the Second World War,meanwhile, a number of itsbuildings were damaged or de-stroyed including the cot lift,but this was back in service by1956.Bighi Hospital was closed on 17September 1970 when thenaval medical services weretransferred to David Bruce Mili-tary Hospital in Mtarfa.In 1977 a trade school occu-pied Bighi’s central and eastblocks, while the other buildingswere used as a secondaryschool. In 1984 the centralblock was abandoned, after itsceiling was declared “too dan-gerous”. Soon after all the build-ings were vacated, but in 2010

Heritage Malta relocated itshead office to Bighi after exten-sive restoration. The otherbuildings are being convertedinto an interactive science cen-tre, due to open to the public inlate 2015.% Just beyond Bighi you’ll see aroundabout, take the first exitinto Triq Ir-Rinella – follow thesign for Fort Rinella – and drivedown the hill to Rinella Bay. Incase you’re wondering, thisarea is called Rinella!At the bottom of the hill there’sa pleasant, little sandy beachand at your 10 o’clock, Fort Ric-asoli. Unfortunately, this isabout as close as you can get tothe fort; it’s been closed to thepublic for several years.

Terence Mirabelli

One of the unique features of Bighi Hospitalwas its cot lift and dedicated jetty

Richard Ellis Archive Malta

The influx of sick and wounded from Gallipoli required that patients be accommodated inBighi’s verandas, “corridors and ditches”

The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 8

R Built on a promontory, grue-somely known as Gallows Point,between 1670 and 1693 the fortis named after Fra GiovanniFrancesco Ricasoli, a Florentineknight of the Order of St Johnwho financed a large part of theconstruction. Together withFort St Elmo in Valletta, Fort Ri-casoli guards the approaches tothe Grand Harbour.The fort continued to be usedby the military well after the de-parture of the Order of St Johnin 1798. First and very brieflyby the French, then by theBritish as a temporary navalhospital from the late 1820suntil 1832, when Bighi hospitalwas opened.Given its position, the fort bris-tled with guns that “were re-placed several times betweenthe 1860s and early 1900s”. Ad-ditionally, a Brennan torpedostation was also installed here(see the sidebar on page 4 oftour 2).With the onset of the FirstWorld War, and “the alarmingrush of casualties from Gallipoli

during September (1915) andthe grave possibilities of the fu-ture made expansion (of hospi-tals) imperative at the time, soit was accordingly consideredthat use could be made of thebarrack rooms and paradeground of Ricasoli”, writes DrGeorge Bruce in his history ofmilitary hospitals6.In Fort Ricasoli’s favour “werea healthy site, close to the sea atthe southern entrance of theGrand Harbour, its isolation andits convenience for disembarka-tions,” Dr Bruce writes.“Accommodation was found for800 patients, 224 in eight bar-rack rooms and 576 in tentspitched on the large paradeground. The hospital was pre-pared and equipped during Oc-tober, received its first convoyon 6 November, and up to theend of the month 503, mostlysick, were admitted.“During December 1915 andJanuary 1916, 942 were admit-ted, but after 27 January nofurther cases were sent there.The bloodless evacuation of Gal-

lipoli had by this time markedlyreduced the numbers of sickand wounded arriving and theSalonica expedition had not asyet started to use Malta to anyextent. Accordingly Ricasoliand also Spinola were closed asgeneral hospitals at the end ofMarch; they had served theirpurpose for the time being”.

Richard Ellis Archive Malta

A bronze catafalque symbolising the burial of the unknown soldier at sea, it overhangs the bastion parapet in Valletta, whilst in thebackground stands Fort Ricasoli - used as a hospital for just four months during the First World War

Fort Ricasoli was considered healthy andconveniently sited for disembarkations

Terence Mirabelli

The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 9

Meanwhile, records show thatAnzacs were treated at Fort Ric-asoli; for instance, PrivateCharles Jenour of Perth’s 10thLight Horse Regiment con-tracted the measles at Gallipoli.On 7 June 1915 he was admit-ted to the hospital ship Gallipoliand transferred to Malta, arriv-ing on the island a week laterand was taken to Mtarfa Mili-tary Hospital. He was dis-charged from Mtarfa on 26June and went to Fort Ricasoli.Three weeks later, by now de-clared fit for duty, Jenour re-joined his unit at Gallipoli.He later served in Francewhere he was promoted to Sec-ond Lieutenant. Jenour was dis-charged in April 1920 andreenlisted in December 1939.Fort Ricasoli reverted to apurely military function after1916 and was very active dur-ing the Second World War, suf-fering heavy damage from Axisair raids. In 1947 it was com-missioned as HMS Ricasoli andwas used for training by theRoyal Navy until 1958.Film buffs are probably and un-

knowingly more familiar withFort Ricasoli as the backdropfor several big-budget movies.Huge sets were built within itswalls in 2000 for Gladiator,Troy in 2004 and Agora in2009. In these movies the fortstood in as Rome, Troy andAlexandria respectively.The 2002 TV mini series Julius

Caesar and the 2003 productionHelen of Troy were also partlyfilmed at Fort Ricasoli. A setdubbed as the Roman Road wasbuilt for Julius Caesar and thishas been retained and used forother films. The first season ofGame of Thrones used variousparts of the fort to representthe Red Keep7.% Drive around the bay and upthe hill, following the signagefor Fort Rinella. At the round-about, take the second exit. Inthe distance you should see aBritish Union Flag flying –that’s your next stop, FortRinella (35°53’40”N,14°31’57”E). Today the fort is alive museum, and anyone inter-ested in re-enactments willenjoy a visit.

Throughout the year volun-teers dressed as late 19th Cen-tury Victorian soldiers presentinteractive displays that focuson various aspects of Britishmilitary life and skills.R Commonly referred to as FortRinella, although never classi-fied as such, this is a Victoriangun battery built in the lastquarter of the 19th Century, ata time when the islands werethreatened by the supremacy ofthe Italian navy. Rinella wasone of a pair; however, the gunat Cambridge Battery, nearTigné Point in Sliema, no longerexists.Fort Rinella housed a singleArmstrong Whitworth gun thatweighed 156 tonnes and had an11-metre long barrel with a 45-centimetre calibre. It could firea one-tonne shell that couldpierce 65 centimetres of ar-mour at 13 kilometres.The guns at Cambridge andRinella were in active servicefor only 20 years and werewithdrawn in 1906, withoutever firing a shot in anger. Be-cause a single shell cost as

Capt Law

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Fort Ricasoli’s barrack rooms and vast parade ground were used as a hospital for Gallipoli sick and wounded. More recently it has been thebackdrop for several movies, including Gladiator – the set of the Roman amphitheatre is clearly visible in the bottom right of the photograph

The ANZAC experience in Malta - Recovery • 10

much as the daily wage of 2,600soldiers, practice firing waslimited to one shotevery

three months.After the Armstrong gun wasretired, Fort Rinella was usedas an observation post for theguns at Fort Ricasoli. DuringWorld War II the Royal Navyused it to store supplies, in1956 it gave up the site6.% Now for a spot of time travel,from Victoriana to Silicon Val-ley Malta style. Continue downTriq Santu Rokku to Smart Cityfor a spot of refreshments at apub or a snack at the bistro(both are located on the sea-ward side of Smart City).R Smart City is a technologypark intended to transform theRicasoli Industrial Estate into astate-of-the-art informationtechnology and media city. Theproject was unveiled in 2007and the first offices came onstream in 2010. The whole de-velopment, which covers anarea of 360,000 square metres,is to be fully completed by20217.% Once refreshed and back inyour car, backtrack 100 metres,past Smart City’s security gate,and turn left at what looks likean obelisk. At the secondobelisk - it’s a T junction - turnleft, you are now on Triq il-Mis-sjoni Taljana. And at the nextintersection you’ll see a sign in-dicating left for Xaghajra, followit. There’s also a much smallersign pointing the way to the Ca-puccini Naval Cemetery.

Drive for some200 metres untilyou reach a Yjunction, parkhere. On yourright is theKalkara NavalCemetery, alsoknown as the Ca-puccini Naval

Cemetery.R The cemetery, which once be-longed to the Royal Navy, is di-vided into two sections,Protestant and Roman Catholic.Most of the 351 Commonwealthburials of the First World Warform a triangular plot in theProtestant section, the rest arescattered elsewhere.Among those buried here are27 Australians and seven NewZealanders. Of the Australians,three were buried during WWIand the remaining 24 duringthe Second Word War.All seven New Zealandersburied here died during WWII.

Also buried at Kalkara areJapanese, French and Germansfrom WWI plus Poles and Ital-ians from WWII.% Retrace your route back tothe intersection with Triq il-Missjoni Taljana. However, in-stead of turning right, gostraight and take the secondright into Triq Santa Liberata(on your right you’ll see the Ca-puchin Friary).Continue down this road untilyou reach its end, easily identi-fied by the three trees at the in-tersection with Triq SanDwardu. Turn right, at the sec-ond roundabout you’ll be backat the starting point of this tour.

The Armstrong Whitworth gun could fire a one-tonne shell adistance of 13 kilometres and pierce armour 65 centimetres thick

Thirty-four Anzacs are buried at the KalkaraNaval Cemetery

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Sources1Cottonera Hospital and Malta as the‘Nurse of the Mediterranean’ (AlfredCassar Reynaud and John Portelli inThe Sunday Times of Malta of 22 June2014)2Malta The Nurse of the Mediterranean(Rev Albert G MacKinnon MA, Hodderand Stoughton 1916)3Naval Hospitals in Malta (CharlesSavona-Ventura, vassallohistory.word-press.com/naval-hospitals-in-Malta)4Naval Hospital (Malta Penny Magazineof 24 October 1840)5Military Hospitals in Malta during theGreat War 1914-1918 (Walter Bonnici,www.maltaramc.com)6Malta Military Hospitals 1915-1917, ashort account of their inception and de-velopment (George Bruce, MA, MD,DPH, Capt, RAMC, (SR), Specialist Sani-tary Officer, Malta)7Wikipedia

Written and designed by Terence Mirabelli, Island Publications Ltd, on behalf of the Australian High Commission in Malta.Australian High Commission: Ir-Rampa Ta’ Xbiex, Ta’ Xbiex XBX 1034. Tel 2133820 Fax 2134405 Site www.malta.highcommission.gov.au/mlta/home.htmlIsland Publications Ltd: 36/38 Triq l-Isperanza, Mosta MST 1309. Tel 21431864 Site www.travelmalta.comCopyright © 2015 Australian High Commission, Malta. Island Publications (IPL) was unable to locate the copyright holder of some photographs used in this document. IPL willpay a usage fee to the legal copyright holder if he identifies himself with proof of title.

Terence Mirabelli

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