Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Malta occupies a key strategic location in the Mediterranean Sea and has figured prominently in recorded history as a result.  Malta became the base of operations of the Knights of St John of the Hospital, one of the two major Christian orders of knights (the other being the Knights Templar) following their departure from the Holy Lands after the Crusades.

It was the site of a ferocious siege by the Ottoman Turks in 1525, which was successfully repelled under the leadership of Grand Master Simon de Valette .  It played a key role throughout the recent (200 years) history of the Royal Navy as a strategic base, with the hub round the Grand Harbour and the capital Valetta.  It played a crucial role in both World Wars.  In WW1 i earned the sobriquet "The Nurse of the Mediterranean" as the site of major hospitals treating the wounded from the Middle East, Gallipoli and Salonika.  Then in WW2, it was again the forefront but this time for a far more desperate reason - for the endurance of the island and its people in  the face of relentless Axis (Italian and German) bombing, the island was awarded the George Cross.

There are a number of CWGC cemeteries on the island.  It played a major role in the medical evacuation chain in WW1.  There are many graves of soldiers who died of wounds primarily from the Gallipoli campaign as well as casualties of the U-Boat (submarine) campaign in the Mediterranean.  More graves were added during WW II.

Andolorata Cemetery is located near the viillage of Paolo, about 5km from Valetta.

Graves are essentially hewn into the underlying rock and the CWGC graves do not bear the tradtional head-stones.

See the CWGC link for details of all burials.

Steve Larkins March 2014