MALTA
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Brief History Malta,
located on the border between two key culture areas and in a strategic
position in the mediterranean sea,
has been under foreign rule for centuries. In succession it was occupied by
the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Saracens. [1]
In 1090 it was conquered by Roger, Count of Sicily, a nobleman from
the Norman family De Hauteville. For more than four and a half centuries
Malta was under the rule of the counts, soon kings of Sicily. Here were
successively rulers from the house De Hauteville, Hohenstaufen, Aragon and
Habsburg. Roger de
Hauteville would have received a special blessed banner from Pope Alexander
II (r.1.1061-'73) for his fight against the Saracens. Possibly this was white
with a red cross. Later, under the kingdom of 1130, the eagle and the lion
make their entry into the power symbolism of the Hautevilles. Afterwards,
under the Hohenstaufen a coat of arms with a black two-headed eagle on gold
and then a black eagle on white were the arms of the rulers. The Aragonese
bore a coat of arms quarterly of Sicily-Hohenstaufen and Aragon and at last
quarterly in saltire from Aragon and Sicily-Hohenstaufen. This last coat of
arms has always remained the coat of arms of the island of Sicily, including
Malta. (ð Sicily). In 1530
Malta was donated by King Charles I of Spain to the Order of St. John without
the feudal relationship being broken. The symbolic tribute that the Order was
obliged to pay to the Sicilian crown was one falcon per year. For the
arms of the Order of St. John, reference is made to the chapter on the Order
of St. John. The coat of arms of Malta. Tradition
has it that the Maltese got their national colors from Count Roger of
Hauteville. For the time being, however, there are no indications that
confirm this tradition. The oldest known image of the coat of arms of Malta
is located in the Cathedral of St. Paul in Mdina and is dated to 1521. A rose
is depicted above the coat of arms. It could therefore be that the arms were
granted by a member of the Orsini family who was either bishop of Malta or
count of Malta. From the beginning of the fourteenth century, this family wore
a coat of arms barry Argent and Gules with a chief Argent charged with a rose
Gules. Galbreath also attributes this coat of arms to Pope Nicholas III
(1277-80) (Gian-Gaetano Orsini) who ruled during the reign of Charles I of
Anjou in Sicily. [2] Be that
as it may, the arms are certainly to be regarded as those of the Università of Malta, which from the
Norman period had great powers on the island and which it has always been
able to maintain through the ages. After the
takeover of the island by the Order of
St. John, the coat of arms was continued by the Maltese in Mdina and Rabat.
It was applied to the city gates, among other things. In the 17th century it
was covered with a crown. The
disappearance of the Order of St John also created the possibility that the
Maltese population became sovereign and in this sense the arms parted per
pale also acquired a new political meaning as a coat of arms of the National
Assembly of which the British Alexander Ball was elected president. A version
of the Maltese coat of arms of this time shows it covered with a crown with
five points because Malta considered itself to be a Republic and no longer a
(feudal) county (with a crown of a count with five fleurons). Around the
shield lie flags and weaponry. In the
light of the recognition by the British of Sicilian sovereignty over the
island which would mean that Malta would once again end up in the French
sphere of influence, the National Assembly requested the English king to
assume sovereignty. This request was honored in 1813. Of a
participation of the Maltese population in the board nothing came for a long
time because Malta was placed under direct British rule. In 1887,
however, a legislative council was established and from this time onwards we
see the impaled arms appearing in the flight of the red British banner being
used on the island. The
legislative assembly was suspended again in 1903 but in 1919 a new attempt
was made and in 1921 a new constitution was passed. From this time on, the
white-red impaled coat of arms is crowned with a mural crown and surrounded
by a wreath of olive and oak branches. In 1936
the self-government was again suspended and the island became a British
colony again. For it we see a coat of arms appearing with a Maltese cross on
the ancient white and red impaled field. The British Imperial State Crown is
on the shield. (This thus more or less referred to the uniform of the naval
officers of the Order of St. John) In 1943,
the people of Malta were awarded the “Georg’s Cross” by King George VI
because of the courage they had shown during the Italian and German bombing
of the island. Malta had become the target of this because the English on the
island had made the base of operations from which targets in Italy and the
Balkans could be harassed. On 28 December 1943, the cross was included in the
coat of arms and on the flag. It got a place on a blue canton. The Maltese
cross fell away. On 5
September 1947 Malta became autonomous and on 21 September 1964 it became an
independent member of the Commonwealth. Nineteen days earlier, Queen
Elizabeth gave the governor of the island, the Duke of Norfolk, a new coat of
arms with helmet, crown, supporters and motto. The blue
canton was removed from the shield. To meet the heraldic rules, the cross was
rimmed red. The
helmet is a golden gratied helmet guardant (a royal helmet) with lambrequines
in the colors of the arms It is covered by a mural crown with five towers. Two
dolphins serve as supporters, rising from a sea that surrounds a rock. They
are the symbols of the Mediterranean, the rock represents Malta. On both
sides of the shield an olive branch and a palm branch have been placed and on
the rock is a small Maltese cross as a reminder of the time of the Order of
John. The motto
VIRTUTE
ET CONSTANTIA means
"Through Courage and Perseverance". On 13
December 1975, the Parliament of Malta proclaimed the Republic. The ancient
state coat of arms was abolished. Instead, a more naturalistic emblem was
adopted. It represents a Maltese boat on the quay under a bright sun. On the
shore there is a rake and a hoe for agriculture and a fig cactus as a typical
representative of the flora of the island. The legend reads: REPUBLIKA TÁ
MALTA. In 1987
there was a regime change by which the National Party came to power. On 19
October 1988 the old emblem was abolished and a new one was adopted. It is
the coat of arms of 1964 but without helmet, supporters and other showpieces.
Instead, the mural crown is now directly on the shield. Around it lie an
olive branch and a palm branch tied together with a ribbon bearing the name
of the republic: REPUBLIKA TA 'MALTA. |
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Sicilian |
1090-1530 |
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“(Pope) Alexander II (1061-’73) presented
three specially blessed flags during his reign; one to Roger of Sicily, to
encourage him and his Normans in their struggle against the Saracens another,
said to have been white with a red cross to Erembald, captain of Milan and
leader of the reforming party. “ [3](Galb. p. 2). |
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Roger de Hauteville |
1190- |
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Accoring to legend Roger de Hauteville would
have granted the colors red and white to the citizens of Malta as a reward for
their help at the chasing of the Saracens from the island |
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Margaritone da Brindisi, Grand Admiral of Sicily, Principe di Tarento and
Duca di Durazzo. Count of Malta |
1190–1197 |
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The first
Count of Malta was Margerito de Brindisi, a sailor of Greek descent or origin
from the city of Brindisi (south Italy), who was granted the fief by Tancred
of Lecce then King of Sicily, for his service as admiral for the Kingdom,
known at the time as ammiratus ammiratorum. Margerito de Brindisi then lost
his fiefs including Malta in 1194 when Henry VI Holy Roman Emperor took
control of the kingdom by military invasion; in 1197 on the death of Henry VI
the title was given to Guglielmo (William) Grasso a Genoese pirate which was
one of many North Italian and German warlords who had great interests in the
new territory that was now open to them. Some accounts indicate that he was
also admiral to the King of Sicily but it is also attested that he was a
conspirator along with a Markward Von Anweiler to remove the young Frederick
I from the throne and therefore in conflict with the crown. It is also
attested that he was a corsair first and foremost with the population of
Malta rising up against him by 1198 on various issues. |
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Guglielmo da Brindisi, son of Margaritone. Count of Malta |
1197-1204 |
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Enrico Pistore, son-in-law of Guglielmo, Count of Malta |
1204-1265 |
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Nicolo Pistore, son of Enrico, Count of Malta |
1265-1266 |
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Vacant |
1266-1285 |
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Lucina Pistore, daughter of Nicolo, Countess of Malta |
1285-1296 |
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Ruggiero de Flohr, Vice Admiral of Sicily, Count of Malta. |
1296 |
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Vacant. |
1296-1330 |
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Prince William of Sicily, Count of
Malta. |
1320-1330 |
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younger son of King Frederick II of
Sicily
Photo H.d.V.2006 Coat of arms of William of
Aragon on his tomb in Palermo Cathedral Arms: Quarterly in saltire,
the first and 4th paly Gules and Or, the second and third Argent an eagle
Sable crowned Or. At around
1320 King Frederick II, gave the title of Count of Malta to his son by
Eleanor of Anjou, Guglielmo. It
seems that in 1330 Guglielmo invested the county of Malta to his half brother
Alfonso Federigo. Although no
records are known to substantiate the common belief, it is maintained that he
held the fief until his death in 1349. At this date the fief was inherited by
his son Pietro Federigo. A year later
in 1350 King Louis of Sicily incorporated the islands to the royal dominion,
apparently after petitioning from the local nobility. During this period
Queen Jeanne of Naples appointed Niccolò
Acciaiuoli Count of Malta which title he claimed until 1360. In 1360 King Frederick III the
Simple gave the fief to Guido
Ventimiglia but by 1366 the fief was passed by the crown to Manfred III Chiaramonte. Once again
in 1370 King Frederick III the Simple entrusted the fief to his illegitimate
son Guglielmo d’Aragona. Manfred
III Chiaramonte being Admiral for the King of Sicily, Captain of Djerba and
the Kerkenna Islands, and Count of Modica took control of the islands later
on after the death of the aforementioned king in 1377. In
reality during much of this period the islands were in the control of Giacomo de Pellegrino, a Messinese
who had settled in Malta, and who from 1356 to 1372 holding various titles
and administrative positions along with a lucrative cotton cloth warehouse
along with a privateering business took over the politics of the fiefdom. He
was finally removed from power after an invasion of Malta from an allied
force of Genoese and Sicilian navies and a 2-month siege of Mdina by both
these forces and Maltese rebels from both peasants and other noblemen. his
power in local politics and administration made him many enemies on the
islands and with the Sicilian claimants to the county, while his privateering
business made him enemies in both Sicily and Genoa. Manfred III Chiaramonte than held the fief until his
death in 1391, after which the fief was to be inherited by his eldest child Elizabetta Peralta Chiaramonte,
although actual management of the territories was probably undertaken by her
brother Andrea Chiaramonte. Finally Andrea Chiaramonte was executed in 1392
after he had been accused as a major conspirator in the anti-Aragonese unrest
during the early reign of Maria of Sicily. |
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Prince John of Sicily, Duke of Athens younger
son of King Frederick II of Sicily, Count of Malta. |
1330-1348 |
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Prince Frederick of Sicily, son of John,
Count of Malta |
1348-1350 |
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1350 on the 5th October 1350 the fief of Malta
was directly incorporated to the crown of Sicily (First Incorporation). |
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Marco de Vassallo, grandson of Prince John,
De-Jure Count of Malta |
1350-1398 |
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Between 1357 - 1360 Malta was governed by the Acciajoli and Chiaramonte Families.
Arms of Chiaramonte On the painted wooden ceiling (1377-80) of the Sala Magna at Palazzo
Chiaramonte or ‘Steri’ in Palermo. [4] Arms: Argent,
a chief Gules a mountain of the first |
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Nicolo Acciaiuoli |
*12.09.1310-08.11.1365 Grand seneschal
of Sicily Lord of Satriano
1348 Count of Terlizzi
1349 Count of Melfi 1352 Count of Malta en
Gozo 1357 Vicount of Corinthe
1358 |
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Gemellion with the arms Acciajuoli, 1300 ca Grado, Treasury [5] Arms:
Argent, a lion Azure Supporters:
Three dragons Probably belonging to Angelo Acciaiuoli,
*1298, bishop of Aquila (1328-1342).
Seal of Nicholas Acciajuoli Arms:
Argent, a lion rampant Azure. Crest:: A
pointed hat Legend:
X nicolai acarolis :
comitis : melfie : et magni regni sicilie senescalc. [6]
Coat of arms of John and Louis of Anjou. Below the coats of
arms of Mainardi Cavalcanti and his wife Andreola Acciaiuoli, 1364 ca. Villa Bellosguardo, Florence. (Cavalcanti:
Argent, strewn with crosslets pateé lozengy / D'argento, seminato di crocette
patenti ritrinciate di rosso.)
Cavalcanti |
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Guido Ventimiglia, Conte di Golifano, Count of Malta |
1360-1362 |
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The arms of the Ventimiglia famliy
seems to have been: Gules, a chief Or
The seal of Filippino Ventimiglia count of Maro in
the 13th century. |
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1362-1377 |
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Guglielmo d'Aragona, illegitimate son of Frederick III of Sicily, Count
of Malta |
1377 |
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Giacomo d'Aragon, illegitimate son of Frederick III of Sicily, Count of
Malta |
1377-1391 |
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Guglielmo / Raimondo de Moncada, Marquis of Malta |
1391-1394 |
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Moncada: Gules 8 besants (Or) 2,2,2,2. (Gelre, n° 644: Gaston de Moncada) |
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Artale d'Alagona, Count of Malta. |
1394-1397 |
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d´Alagon: Argent 8 balls Sable,
2,2,2,2. (Gelre, n° 664: Don Blasco d´Alagon; Bellenville: fol. 8r1 Don blasco dalago: a 6 tourteaux).
arms of d’Alagona in Armorial Bellenville
Arms of d'Alagon On the painted wooden ceiling (1377-80) of the Sala Magna at Palazzo
Chiaramonte or ‘Steri’ in Palermo. [7] |
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Directly under the Aragonese
crown |
1397-1420 |
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War broke out between the D'Alagona and Moncada families
with one or the other claiming the fief of Malta. The years 1391-1397 are
known as the "Age of Tyrants" due to the suffering incurred by the
Maltese people under these feudal lords. On 27th November 1397, Malta was
again directly incorporated to the Crown of Sicily (Second Incorporation) |
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Bartolomeo de Vassallo, son of Marco. De-Jure
Count of Malta |
1398-1452 |
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Don Antonio Cardona, Viceroy of Sicily, Count
of Malta |
1420-1425 |
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Arms of Cte
de cardona = Ugo II de
Cardona (~1328-1400) Bellenville,
fol. 8n°9 (unfinished) Arms: .Tierced per pile
Gules and Argent three thistle flowers
from a trunk Hugo de Cardona and Beatriz de Xerica y Martinez de Luna,
Arms:
De gu. au cardon feuillé d’or. L.: le g de cardona. Bergshammer fol.
220v° n° 3315. (chardon = thistle ) |
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Don Gonsalvo Monroy, Count of Malta |
1425 |
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The Maltese led by the nobles, rose in rebellion
and forced the count to flee the island. The cost of the fief was paid back to
Monroy by the people of Malta who endured terrible hardships to raise the
money.
Monroy |
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Directly under the Aragonese
crown |
1428.06.20 |
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Alfonso V the Magnificent |
*1394--†1458 King of Aragon and Sicily-Trinacria 1416-1458 King of Sicily-Naples 1442-1458 Knight of the Fleece N° 42, 1445 |
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On the 3rd January 1427, King Alfonso directly
incorporated Malta to the Crown
of Sicily and promised that never again would Malta be granted as a fief
(a promise already given and broken in the first and second incorporations)
As a token of his Royal sincerity he gave the Maltese permission to take up
arms against him or his descendants without incurring the penalty for high
treason, should his promise ever be broken. It was!... on the 23rd March
1530, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and Suzerain of Sicily and Malta, a
descendant of Alfonso, ceded the Maltese islands to the Order of St John of
Jerusalem and of Rhodes. |
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Order of St John |
1530-1798 |
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French occupation |
1798-1800 |
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Emblem of the French Republic in Malta Letterhead with the date10 fructidor
year 7 (27.10.1799) |
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Independent |
1799-1814 |
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During the french siege the Maltese organized
a provisional government and a National Assembly. On 9 February 1799
Alexander Ball, charged with the command of the British Fleet by Nelson, was
appointed by that National Assembly its President
Alexander Ball (1800-1809) Coll. The
National Archives of Malta Arms: Ermine,
a lion Sable , in chief two balls Gules voided Argent and in base a grenade
Sable ignited Gules. Crest: The
crown of an earl crested of an arm uprigh,t vested Azure with the insignia of
a vice- admiral, holding a grenade
Sable, ignited Gules. Order: The
cross of the Order of St. John After the Treaty of Amiens of 1802 the
National Assembly declared the King of Great Britain its sovereign. This was
accepted by the British Government in 1813. By Treaty of Paris of 1813 it was
ratified. At the same time the National Assembly was suspended. The next years the Maltese were by and by
involved in the government. In 1887 a constitution was designed by which a
legislative council was created consisting of 14 elected and 6 appointed
members. The constitution was suspendedn again in 1903
in favour of a civil government. In 1919 a National Assembly of the 1798 model
was again created and in 1921 a new Constitution was permitted. |
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1814-1921 |
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Achievement of George III on the Main Guard in Valetta. MAGNAE ET
INVICTAE BRITANNIAE MERITENSIUM AMOR
EUROPAEVOX… HAS INSULAS
CONFIRMAT AD 1814 1835 Creation of a Government Council. Hundred and fifty years after the acceptance of
the sovereignty of Malta by Great Britain Malta became a sovereign state with
the name Stat ta´Malta. |
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The coat of arms of the Universitá and the Republic Malta |
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Photo H.d.V 1997 The coat of arms of Mdina/ Malta on the entrance door
of St. Paul´s Cathedral in Mdina 1521.
Arms of the City
of Mdina On the Façade St.
Pauls cathedral Mdina, completed 1702. Arms: Per pale Argent and Gules Crown: 5
Leaves and 4 pearls. Garland:
Two olive branches. The arms are called Arms of the Cty. To the
left are the arms of Ramon Perellos, grand master from 1697-1720 The arms
are probably placed at the beginning of the 20th century.
Badge of Malta, 1870-1903 on a white disk
on the Blue Ensign Arms: Per pale Argent and
Gules, an eight-pointed cross of the last. These arms were on
the blue ensign and they are a combination of the arms of the city of Mdina
and the cross of the Order of St John. Only nine years later the Order was
revived by Pope Leo XIII and thus the
eight-pointed cross could be claimed by the Order. Probably for that reason
the eight-pointed cross was removed from the British arms for Malta in 1903. According to A. Fox Davies in his ‘Book of
Public Arms’ (Edinburgh, 1915): No arms are recorded for Malta, but the
Admiralty publish for use upon the Union flag by the Governor, the arms per
pale argent and gules, a bordure or.
Badge in the Blue Ensign1903-1944 Arms:
Parted per pale Argent an Gules (in the flight of the blue ensign) |
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British Colony with
restricted self Goverment |
1921-1930 |
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1922-1926 ca. Arms: Per
pale Argent and Gules a Maltese cross from the one in the other. Crown: St.
Edwards’crown.
Arms of
1926-1927 On a stamp of 1d Arms: Per pale
Argent and Gules Crown: A
mural crown of five towers Garland:
Of branches of olive and oak. |
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Colony |
1936-1947 |
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In 1943,
the people of Malta were awarded the “Georg’s Cross” by King George VI because
of the courage they had shown during the Italian and German bombing of the
island. Malta had become the target of this because the English on the island
had made the base of operations from which targets in Italy and the Balkans
could be harassed. On 28 December 1943, the cross was included in the coat of
arms and on the flag. It got a place on a blue canton. The Maltese cross fell
away.
Granted 1943.12.08 Arms: Per
pale Argent and Gules, in dexter chief
a canton Azure charged with the George’s Cross.
Founded 24.08.1940. The cross is a George’s
cross in silver with the cypher of
King George VI in the corners. In the middle a medallion with the
effigy of St. George and the Dragon within the motto FOR GALLANTRY. |
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Autonomous |
05.09.1947 |
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21.11.1964-1974 |
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Foto H.d.V.
03.1997 Achievement in appliqué on a purple backgound in a
golden frame Co-Cathedral
of St. John, Valletta (probaly from the
palace of the Grand Master) Achievement Arms: Per
pale Argent and Gules in dexter chief the George’s Cross with a bordure
Gules. Crest: On
a helmet guardant of five bars Or, lambrequined Argent and Gules, a mural
crown of five towers. Supporters:
Two dolphins proper, the dexterwith a branch of Olive and the sinister with a
branch of palm, standing on a rock rising from the sea also proper and
charged with an eight-pointed cross Argent. Granted by Queen Elizath II through the Duke
of Norfolk as an Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marhal of England on 02.12.1964
Standard of Queen Elizabeth 1967.10.31 – 1974.12.12. |
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Republika ta’ Malta |
13.12.1974 |
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Arms: A
harbour under a sun radiant, a traditional Maltese boat with “Eye of Osiris”,
a spade and fork in saltire on the shore and a cactus in the distance all
proper. Adopted 1975.07.11.
Photo
H.d.V.03.1997. a. Intarsia in the floor of the Palace of the
Grand Master
Throne room 1975-1987
Traditional Maltese boat as in the arms of 1975 |
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Republika ta’ Malta |
1987-present |
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CHAPTER 253 EMBLEM AND PUBLIC SEAL OF MALTA ACT To make provision concerning the Emblem and
Public Seal of Malta. (11th July, 1975)* ACT
XXXIII of 1975,
as amended by
Acts XIII of 1983 and
XXIX of1988; and Legal Notice 423 of 2007 1.The
short title of this Act is the Emblem and Public Seal ofMalta Act. 2.(1) The
Emblem of Malta shall consist of a shield showing an heraldic representation
of the National Flag of Malta; above the shield a mural crown in gold with a
sally port and eight turrets (five only being visible) representing the
fortifications of Malta and denoting a City State; and around the shield a
wreath of two branches the dexter of Olive, the sinister a Palm, symbols of
peace and traditionally associated with Malta, all in their proper colours,
tied at base with a white ribbon, backed red and upon which are written the
words REPUBBLIKA TA’ MALTA in capital letters in black; as shown depicted in
the First Schedule to this Act. (2) The
Emblem of Malta shall replace the Emblem of Malta adopted by this Act on the
11th July, 1975, as well as the armorial ensigns assigned for Malta by
warrant dated 2nd September, 1964 and published in the Gazette by Government
Notice No. 550 onl2th October, 1964.[8]
Foto H.d.V.
03.1997 Coat of arms of 19.10.1988 In the throne room on a
purple background [9] |
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Seal [10] |
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Presidential
standard 1988-present |
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European Service & Intelligence
Agency |
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ESIA,
acronym of European Service & Intelligence Agency, is an Intelligence
Agency to support NATO activities. Its mission is to provide support to
Governments and Institutions, both military and civilians, to contribute to
the stabilisation of territories in which is present, giving top priority to
security in every sector it’s responsible for, from the military to the
socio-humanitarian field, included cyber security and multimedia.
Arms of ESIA The arms
are: Arms: Gules, a winged eagles’ claw accompanied of
an four-pointed star Or, and a sinister base indented of 11 points Argent,. Crown: An eleven-pointed crown Or. Motto: AD NUTUM (To a nod) Design: Orazio
Mezzetti, 2017 |
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The Malta
Police Force in its present form dates from a proclamation during the
governorship of Sir Thomas Maitland (1813-1814). When Malta became a crown
colony of the United Kingdom and Ireland by the Treaty of Paris, Maitland was
appointed Governor and commander-in-chief of Malta and its dependencies by
the Prince Regent’s Commission of 23 July 1813. On his appointment Maitland,
embarked on many far reaching reforms, including the maintenance of Law and
Order. By
Proclamation XXII of 1st July 1814, Maitland ordered and directed that all
powers up to then exercised with respect to the administration of the police
of the island of Malta and its dependencies were, after 12th July 1814 to be
administered by the authorities under established procedures. The
police was to be divided into two distinct departments – the executive police
and the judicial. The inspector general of police (Nowadays The Commissioner
of Police) was to be the head of the executive police. The Magistrates for
Malta and the Magistrates of Police for Gozo were to be the heads of the
judicial police. From
12th July 1814 onwards, the entire management and control of the executive
police came under the immediate superintendence of the inspector general of
police who received his orders from the governor. After the
grant of self-government in 1921, the police department became the responsibility
of the Maltese government. |
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Coat of arms
Sleeve Patch |
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Cap Badges |
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Victorian |
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Pre 1964 1964-1974 X 1974-1988 a |
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Present AD COMMODUM POPULI = To the
advantage of the people |
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The Armed
Forces of Malta were founded 19 April 1973. The AFM
was formed upon Malta becoming a republic in 1974, when 1 Regiment Royal
Malta Artillery
was renamed as 1 Regiment, AFM. This initially continued the artillery role,
with 2 Regiment formed as an engineers unit. In 1980, 1 Regiment became a
mixed unit, with infantry, aircraft and maritime responsibilities, the
artillery element being transferred to 2 Regiment. In 1992, there was a major
re-organisation, which led to the formation of 3 Regiment and the current
structure.
Arms: Gules, a De Redin tower Or The
charge is one of the towers of the De Redin, which represents the
fortifications and Malta defences back to the time of the knights of St.
John's. The De
Redin Towers (Torrijiet ta' De Redin)
are a series of small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Order of
Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast
of mainland Malta, eight of which still survive.
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Army |
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In April
1800, while the blockade of Valletta was underway, Thomas Graham raised the first
official Maltese Troops in the British Army, which became known as the
Maltese Light Infantry.
This
battalion was disbanded in 1802 and succeeded by the Maltese Provincial
Battalions, the Malta Coast Artillery and the Maltese Veterans. In 1815, Lieutenant Colonel Count
Francis Rivarola was entrusted with the task of raising the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment
following the disbandment of the Provincials, Veterans and Coast Artillery. The King's Own Malta Regiment was a
territorial infantry regiment on the British Army colonial list. It was
formed in 1801 as the
"Regiment of Maltese Militia", existing only until the following
year (1802). It was reformed as
the "Maltese Militia" by Sir Adrian Dingli in 1852 before being disbanded again in 1857. It was raised again, this time as the "Royal Malta Regiment of Militia"
in 1889; this regiment was
considered to be the successor to the "Maltese Chasseurs" of the
early 19th century. The regiment was renamed the "King's Own Royal Malta Regiment of Militia" in 1903 and was disbanded in 1921. The regiment was raised for a
fourth time in 1931 as the "King's Own Malta Regiment".
Initially on the British Establishment, in 1951 it was transferred to the
Malta Territorial Force before becoming part of the Malta Land Force on
Malta's independence in 1970. The regiment was disbanded in 1972. HISTORY OF THE BADGE
[11] Since
1800, when Britain administered and later took possession of the Maltese
islands, a number of infantry regiments were raised such as the Maltese Light
Infantry, the Royal Regiment of Malta and the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment,
which all were regular regiments, as well as the short-lived Malta Militia of
1852-57. None of these regiments bore any connection with the lineage of the
KOMR. The badge
knows its origin to the first infantry militia raised in Malta on a
regimental strength between 1889 and 1902, the Royal Malta Regiment of Militia. Since at
the time the Foreign Service (White Cork) Helmet was still part of the ‘Warm
Climate’ uniform, a helmet plate of a different pattern was worn. The badge
worn on the side cap or glengarry was very similar to the later one worn by
the KOMR except for a number of differences; the Regimental title was shown
shortened to ROYAL MALTA MILITIA and was on a belt or strap rather than on an annulus, the Maltese
Colours within were reversed and the hatching denoting the red was to the
left of the badge and not to the right as on the flag and the monarch’s crown
was the ‘flat topped’ or Imperial Crown which was made for Queen Victoria to
wear on her bun when crowned Empress of India.
1889 - 1902 Following
the demise of Queen Victoria in 1901, her son Albert Edward ascended on the
British throne as King’s Edward VII. On his first visit to Malta in 1903, and
the first in Malta by a British monarch, he accepted becoming the Regiment’s
Patron and Colonel-in-Chief. In return he was pleased to redesignate the name
of the Regiment to The King’s Own Malta Regiment of Militia. A new badge was
introduced, based on the former one, except that an annulus was introduced
for the new title KING’S OWN MALTA REGIMENT OF MILITIA and the crown changed to a Tudor or King’s
Crown.
King’s own Malta regiment of Militia 1903-1921 In 1931,
since the term ‘Militia’ had long been dropped from use in the British Army,
the Regiment was reorganised on territorial basis and renamed the King’s Own
Malta Regiment. Once again, the badge was also changed but remaining on
the same design as the former. The annulus now bore the new name KING’S OWN MALTA
REGIMENT and the
erred Maltese Colours were corrected and placed in their proper sequence.
1931-1972 The badge worn by members of
the KOMR during the Second World War consists of an annulus with the
Regiment’s title KING’S OWN MALTA REGIMENT. At centre is an eight-pointed
Maltese Cross in white metal mounted on a field denoting the Maltese Colours,
all within a wreath of oak leaves. At bottom is a scroll with ‘MDCCC’ (1800),
commemorating the Maltese Light Infantry during the blockade of the French
garrison of occupation, and as the first Maltese regiment raised by the
British. The whole topped by a Tudor or King’s Crown, denoting the British
monarch of the time.[12] After the
demise of King George VI in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II became the new monarch
and the crown on just about every badge worn by British and Colonial
regiments was changed to the St. Edward’s or Queen’s Crown. This change did
not occur with the badge of the KOMR, however, officers of the Regiment had
the King’s Crown removed from their badges by local craftsmen and replaced by
matching Queen’s Crown. The badge remained being worn until the KOMR was
disbanded in 1972. A number
of versions of the 1931-1972 pattern badge were worn, and are as follows: Other
Ranks’ -Cap badge, brass and white metal (bi-metal), large. Side cap
and beret badge, same. Officers’
-Cap badge, enamelled for No. 1 Dress, large. Cap
badge, bronze for Service Dress, large. Side cap,
enamelled collar badge. Officers
and Warrant Officers - Cap badge, Bakelite, large, ‘war economy’. The Royal
Malta Fencible Regiment was converted to an artillery regiment in 1861 and
became known as the Royal Malta Fencible
Artillery.
Royal Malta Fencible artillery 1861-1889 Twenty-eight
years later, the direct predecessors of the modern Armed Forces of Malta came
into existence following the formation of the Royal Malta Artillery on 23 March 1889.
Royal Malta Artillery 1889
1939 The badge
is based on that of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of which The Royal Malta
Artillery was an integral part. It was adopted in 1939. It comprised of an
old-fashioned gun superimposed on the Maltese Cross; below, a scroll inscribed
TUTELA
BELLICAE VIRTUTIS (Custodian
of Military Prowess); the whole ensigned with the Crown.
Emblem. 1974
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Navy |
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Arms: Sable, a trident per pale Or, charged with a
Maltese cross, and a garland of a branche of Olive and a branch of palm. Crown: A mural crown of five towers Supporter: An anchor per pale proper. Compartment: Another shield per fess Gules and Azure Moto: the title MARITIME SQUADRON Malta's
first navy was built when it was under the Order of Saint John. The
Order participated in various naval exploits against the Ottoman Empire while
based in Malta, most notably the Battle of Lepanto of 1571 and
the Battle of the Dardanelles of 1656.
Ships of the Order at the Battle of Lepanto, 1571 In the
17th and early 18th centuries Maltese vessels also went for corsairing
expeditions against Muslim ships. Eventually corsairing decreased
and the Order was weak and bankrupt, so there was little resistance when
Napoleon landed on Malta in 1798. The Order's navy, was integrated into the
French navy and Malta no longer had its own naval force. Soon after the British occupied the island,
the Mediterranean Fleet of the Royal Navy transferred its base to Malta. and
it remained so during the Second World War and until the 1960s.
Three stamps of the Court of the Vice Admiralty of
Malta. (Coll. Maritime
Museum, Valetta, foto H.d.V. 03 1997) a. Crowned anchor between the letters G. R.;
below: malta. (copper) (fig.)
b. Anchor within circle and the legend: vice admiralty court malta (silver) c. Like b, the circle smaller in relation to
the rim. (copper with wooden handle). The
Mediterranean Fleet was disbanded in 1967, and three years later Malta's
first naval force appeared after over 150 years. The Maritime Troop of the
Malta Land Force was established in November 1970. In July 1971 the force was
renamed 1st (Maritime) Battery of the Malta Land Force and was based in
Senglea. In 1977,
the Battery moved to its present base at Hay Wharf, or Xatt it-Tiben. On 1 April 1980 it was renamed Maritime Squadron
of the Armed Forces of Malta, as it is today.
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Air Force |
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Roundel http://www.uniformology.com/INSIGNIA-09.html |
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© Hubert de Vries