- Type of Memorial
- Stone of remembrance
- WMR Reference Number
- 57941
- Description
- A large (8.5 ton) block of granite with dedicatory black granite tablets telling the story of the siege of Malta in etched lettering with Maltese Cross above.
- Inscription
- Tablet 1 placed on side of the memorial MALTA G.C./ THE SIEGE OF 1940-43/ IN 1940 THE SINISTER SHADOW OF FASCISM SPILLED ACROSS EUROPE AND INTO NORTH AFRICA. MALTA,/ UNDER THE PROTECTION OF GREAT BRITAIN, FOUND HERSELF ALONE IN A HOSTILE MEDITERRANEAN 800 MILES/ FROM HER NEAREST ALLIES IN GIBRALTAR AND ALEXANDRIA. BESIEGED BY ENEMIES MALTA BECAME A FULCRUM/ON WHICH THE FATE OF THE WAR BALANCED FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. IF MALTA FELL THE REST OF NORTH AFRICA WOULD FOLLOW,/ OPENING THE DOOR TO THE OIL FIELDS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND FOR THE AXIS POWERS TO LINK IN JOIN IN ASIA AND THREATEN INDIA/ THE ALLIES KNEW THIS, SO DID THE AXIS POWERS. MALTA, BESIEGED, BECAME AND REMAINS/ THE MOST BOMBED PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF WAR./ SUPPLIED ONLY BY SEA, AT GREAT COST, MALTA WAS DEFENDED NOT ONLY BY HER OWN PEOPLE BUT ALSO BY FORCES/ DRAWN FROM THE WHOLE FREE WORLD. FIGHTER AIRCRAFT DELIVERED BY THE AMERICAN AND ROYAL NAVIES/ WERE PILOTED BY BRITONS, CANADIANS, AUSTRALIANS AND NEW ZEALANDERS. CONVOYS CREWED BY BRITISH,/ AMERICAN AND COMMONWEALTH SEAMEN WERE SUPPORTED BY THE FREE FORCES OF GREECE, THE NETHERLANDS AND POLAND./ IN APRIL 1942 KING GEORGE VI AWARDED TO THE PEOPLE OF MALTA THE GEORGE CROSS. THE HIGHEST DECORATION/ FOR CIVILIAN COURAGE AND HEROISM./ BY SUMMER 1942 ONLY WEEKS OF FOOD REMAINED AND THE ALLIES MOUNTED OPERATION PEDESTAL,/ AS A LAST ATTEMPT TO SAVE MALTA.AFTER A FIVE DAY RUNNING BATTLE/THE CONVOY'S FOUR REMAINING MERCHANY VESSELS AND THE IMORTAL TANKER OHIO, ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF THE FOURTEEN/ THAT SET OUT , ENTERED GRAND HARBOUR . THE DATE WAS AUGUST 15TH 1942, THE FEAST OF SANTA MARIA/ THE SIEGE WAS BROKEN;/ WITHIN MONTHS NORTH AFRICA WAS RETAKEN AND THE FIRST STEPS OF EUROPEAN LIBERATION BEGUN./ THIS STONE TAKEN FROM MALTA, WAS PRESENTED BY THE MALTESE GOVERNMENT/ ON THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY/ OF THE END OF SECOND WORLD WAR TO COMMEMORATE ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SIEGE AND DEFENCE OF MALTA 1940-43./ PLACED BY THE GEORGE CROSS ISLAND ASSOCIATION 15TH AUGUST 2005
Tablet 2-THEATRE OF OPERATIONS OF THE MEDITTERANEAN FLEET/[map below]
Tablet 3 Left Hand Side-THE GOVERNOR/MALTA/TO HONOUR HER BRAVE PEOPLE/I AWARD THE GEORGE CROSS TO THE/ISLAND FORTRESS OF MALTA TO BEAR/WITNESS TO A HEROISM AND DEVOTION/THAT WILL LONG BE FAMOUS IN HISTORY/GEORGE R.I./APRIL 15TH 1942/THE CITATION FROM/KING GEORGE TO THE GOVERNOR OF MALTA
Tablet 3 Right Hand Side- [representations of the George Cross and the entwined flags of the UK and the USA]/'IN THE NAME OF PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA/I SALUTE THE ISLAND OF MALTA/ITS PEOPLE AND DEFENDERS/WHO, IN THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM AND JUSTICE AND DECENCY/THROUGHOUT THE WORLD HAVE RENDERED VALOROUS SERVICE/FAR AND ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY/UNDER REPEATED FIRE FROM THE SKIES, MALTA STOOD ALONE/BUT UNAFRAID IN THE CENTER OF THE SEA./ONE TINY, BRIGHT FLAME IN THE DARKNESS... A BEACON OF HOPE/FOR THE CLEARER DAYS WHICH HAVE COME/MALTAS BRIGHT STORY OF HUMAN FORTITUDE AND COURAGE/WILL BE READ BY POSTERITY WITH WONDER AND GRATITUDE/THROUGH ALL THE AGES. WHAT WAS DONE IN THIS ISLAND/MAINTAINS THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF GALLANT MEN/AND WOMEN WHO FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME HAVE LIVED/AND DIED TO PRESERVE CIVILIZATION FOR ALL MANKIND'//FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT/7TH DECEMBER 1943//THE TRIBUTE READ BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT/WHEN HE VISITED MALTA
Panel 4- [existing image is too blurred to read]