Introduction
As part of the Fleet and 3 Commando Brigade the Royal Marines have had strong links with Malta throughout the 20th century.
The Corps undertaken special duties such as operating the anti-aircraft guns of HMS St Angelo during World War Two, protecting NATO’s ‘Southern Flank’ in the Cold War and covering the withdrawal of British Forces from 1977 to 1979.
During this time they have used many of the island’s bases and barracks including Ghain Tuffieha Camp and Pembroke Garrison.
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Introduction
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Shore establishments
Shore establishments
The Royal Marines used a great many of Malta’s shore establishments such as the barracks at Fort Ricasoli and Camarata in Valletta. As well as the Royal Naval Air Service/Royal Air Force establishments at Hal Far and Ta Qali.
Other institutions include the Malta Command Corrective Establishment at Corradino and the Royal Naval Hospital at Bighi. A lesser used Royal Naval facility was HMS Phoenicia on Manoel Island. This was commissioned in 1943 as a Landing Craft Base and used for that purpose until 1946 when it became a base for minesweepers.
The Royal Marines also had associations with the shore establishment at Fort St Angelo - HMS Egmont, later re-named HMS St Angelo . During World War Two the duties of the Marines was to man the light anti-aircraft guns mounted on the top of what was not only a very important building, but what was probably the most prominent and easily identified landmark on the entire island!
On 23 May 1942 a formal ceremony took place to honour the Marines who had operated the two Bofors guns at St Angelo. The last engagement by these guns had been on 10 May and just after that the layout of the anti-aircraft defences around Grand Harbour was modified and the Marines handed over these guns to the Royal Malta Artillery.
During the period that the Royal Marines operated the guns the King recognised their service with four Distinguished Service Medals and five Mentions in Despatches.
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NATO's Southern Flank
NATO's Southern Flank
In the early 1950s the NATO countries agreed that Britain should assume responsibility for protecting Europe’s Southern Flank . As a result, 3 Commando Brigade, comprising 40, 42 and 45 Commando, Royal Marines, was moved from Singapore and Hong Kong to Malta.
The Brigade also served and trained in other parts of the Mediterranean and in Britain, and were required to be able to react to emergency situations, both military and civil, in various parts of the world.
As the Cold War situation eased so the necessity for maintaining this large concentration of an elite force on Malta reduced. In 1970 NATO members decided that the Brigade could be UK-based with their units regularly deployed to Malta.
Early in 1971 they changed their minds and decided to base 41 Commando Group together with 79 (Commando) Battery, Royal Artillery (RA), permanently on Malta. As a result, the sole remaining Army Battalion on Malta returned to the UK.
Planning to base these forces on Malta caused a major diplomatic row. Malta had sought, and won, independence in 1964. Part of the Defence Agreement signed by Britain and Malta was that UK forces could operate from the island – but only for seven years, a period that finished at the end of 1971.
The advance party from 41 Commando RM flew to Malta but the diplomatic row had reached the point that Britain withdrew them and the Commando carried out its next NATO deployment from Britain.
What turned out to be a rather fragile agreement between Britain, NATO and Malta was brokered and 79 Commando Battery (RA) flew to Malta followed by their families. The Malta Government then had a change of heart and returned to the position of demanding that the British forces leave the island by the last day of 1971.
The British Government then announced that British forces would leave much earlier than this and, as a result of this mixture of argument and diplomacy, a new seven year agreement was signed between Britain and Malta.
HMS Bulwark brought 41 Commando Group RM and their artillery support 29 Commando Regiment RA back to Malta in July 1971. The Commando Group stayed St Andrew's Barracks whilst the Gunners went to St George's Barracks.
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Withdrawal
Withdrawal
Since the British forces were due to leave Malta by 1979 it was decided that the main body of 41 Commando Group would leave during 1977 and this they did on 18 April. The 41 Commando Group Company left behind, ‘Salerno’ Company, which relocated to RAF Luqa and continued its role of providing security and protecting British interests until 1979.
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Ghain Tuffieha Camp
Ghain Tuffieha Camp
This was the main camp and training facility used by the Royal Marines from before the start of the 20th Century. It was located on the eastern coast of the island around the bay of the same name and covered slightly more than two square kilometres. It would appear that, at that time, the complex comprised a camp and also the ranges. Whilst the range buildings were of local stone, the Royal Marines using the camp would live in a tented encampment.
The main purpose of the large area of land adjacent to the camp was as a training centre, which was later given the official title of Royal Marines Training Centre (Mediterranean). When ships of the Royal Navy came into Malta their Royal Marine detachments would come ashore for training, exercise, sport and sometimes accommodation. Malta was the headquarters for the Mediterranean Fleet and, therefore, there were always large numbers of ships in the harbour. Training would be carried out on the rifle ranges and the assault courses whilst the bay would be used to practise landings from small boats.
With the movement of 3 Commando Brigade to Malta in early 1952, demands upon the facilities at the Royal Marines Training Centre at Ghain Tuffieha, which still had to maintain the training regimes required for RM Detachments on ships of the Mediterranean Fleet and visiting ships, increased dramatically.
In addition to work on the ranges and assault courses there was a need for drill instruction for the numerous ceremonial parades that took place on the island. Gradually, with the reduction of ship's detachments and the size of the Mediterranean Fleet, this training load decreased. With the reduction in the number of men from the Brigade on the island at any one time, and the move of NATO Headquarters to Naples, the demands decreased even more.
Practice amphibious landings from small boats were also carried out in Ghain Tuffieha Bay but this activity gradually centred upon Mellieha Bay, particularly from the late 1950s. North of Ghain Tuffieha is an area called Ghadira which, in the 1950s, possibly earlier, was used for heavy weapons training.
From the end of the war until sometime in the 1960s training continued at Ghain Tuffieha. During the 1960s much of the camp was handed back to the Malta Government whilst other parts of the Royal Marines Training Centre remained in use until withdrawal in 1977, by which time the Lower Camp, once occupied by, amongst others, 45 Commando RM, was a holiday chalet village.
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Pembroke Garrison and Rifle Range
Pembroke Garrison and Rifle Range
The Garrison and Rifle Range appears to have been a British establishment since about 1800. Located on the west coast of the island, it comprised a musketry camp, rifle ranges, a fort and adjacent gun battery.
Later St George's and St Andrew's Barracks would be built in the same area. Many Army units were stationed there and Royal Marine Battalions and Units were frequently based there until the 1977 withdrawal.
HQ 3 Commando Brigadede RM as well as 40, 41, 42 and 45 Cdo RM, all used the Pembroke facilities until withdrawal. By 12 October 1977 the administrative staff at Pembroke had left and the site was given over to the Malta Armed Forces.
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Barracks
Barracks
The British Armed Forces built Malta's three main barracks, as opposed to camps, prior to 1927. They were St George’s, St Andrew’s and Imtarfa which they later renamed St David’s. Prior to World War Two it was the British Army that mainly used the barracks.