The
Head Office
The National War Museum
is located in the building
known as the old Drill Hall of
Lower Fort St Elmo, Valletta.
The fort was built in the mid
16th century by the military
engineer Pietro Pardo. It was
heavily bombarded during the
Great Siege of 1565 before
it fell on 23 June. In was
reconstructed soon afterwards.
Further modifications and
developments in its structure
took place in the 17th and 18th
centuries following advice
from military engineers such as
Carl Grunenberg, Francois de
Mondion and Rene Jacques de
Tigne.
Several additions were made
in the 19th century by the
British, who improved the fort
for modern military needs. The
fort was also active during the
Second World War.
The National War Museum is
among the most popular tourist
venues in Malta. The original
idea before the opening of
the museum was to hold an
exhibition called The Gladiator
‘Faith’ and War Relics Exhibition
by a group of dedicated
enthusiasts of the National War
Museum Association. Following
its success, it was developed
into a permanent display. The
National War Museum was
inaugurated in 1975.
The museum was completely
refurbished in 2009. The
collection on display focuses
on the two World Wars
(1914-18 and 1939-45). It
recounts the story of the
events which led to the two
wars, their development and
major actions, and also their
consequences, locally and
abroad. Special reference is
made to the role of Malta in
the theatre of war and the
contribution of the Maltese
population to the war effort,
especially during the incredibly
difficult conditions of 1942. The
tour ends with the memorial
dedicated to those who
sacrificed themselves for Malta’s
freedom.
Old University Buildings, Merchants Street
Valletta VLT1175, Malta
National War
Tel: 2295 4000, Fax: 2122 2900
e-mail: info@heritagemalta.org
Museum
www.heritagemalta.org A BRIEF GUIDE
The National War Museum
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 8.15 - 17.00hrs
Last admission 16.30hrs
Other Heritage Malta Museums and Sites:
National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta
The Palace Armoury, Valletta
Malta Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa
The Inquisitor’s Palace, Vittoriosa
Óal Saflieni Hypogeum, Paola
Tarxien Temples, Tarxien
Óa©ar Qim Temples, Qrendi
Mnajdra Temples, Qrendi
St Paul’s Catacombs, Rabat
G˙ar Dalam Cave and Museum, BirΩebbu©a
Museum of Archaeology, Citadel Gozo
Ìgantija Temples, Xag˙ra Gozo
NATIONAL MUSEUM
OF FINE ARTS
City Gate
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MUSEUM OF ARMOURY AND
ARCHAEOLOGY STATE ROOMS
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This brochure is handed out free of charge.
Produced by Midsea Books Ltd.
The visit in the National War Museum
commences from the origins of the First
World War, the outbreak of war, the
major battles on land and at sea, and
Malta’s role as naval base and Nurse of
the Mediterranean. Artefacts on display
include German machine guns, trench
mortars and a torpedo.
Following a brief overview of what WORLD WAR II WORLD WAR II
1940 1942
occurred in Malta and in Europe in the
inter-war period, with special attention to WORLD WAR I INTER WAR YEARS WORLD WAR II
the social situation in Malta the rise and 1914-1918 1919-1938 1941
spread of Fascism and Nazism, the focus
is shifted on the outbreak of war. Malta
was preparing itself to defend the civil
population. It officially entered the war
and started being bombed the day after
Mussolini declared war on the Allies on
ENTRANCE
10 June 1940. The star item in this section
is certainly the Gloster Sea Gladiator
‘Faith’.
In 1941 the situation worsened in
Malta following the direct involvement WORLD WAR II
1939
of the German Luftwaffe. Their attacks
brought death and devastation. However
April 1942 was the worst month for
Malta and on 15 April 1942 King George
VI honoured the Maltese Islands with the
George Cross for their bravery. Another
difficult month was August, when Malta
was on the verge of surrender. The arrival EXIT
of Convoy Operation ‘Pedestal’ on 15
August, however, meant that Malta could
live to fight another day.
The next section features the Willys
Jeep ‘Husky’ used by General Eisenhower
MEMORIAL MALTESE WORLD WAR II WORLD WAR II
before the invasion of Sicily of 1943 and REGIMENTS 1943-1945 1942
also by President Roosevelt during his WORLD WAR II
visit to Malta. Following the surrender 1946-1948
of Italy in 1943 Malta was officially out
of the war. In February 1945 a series of
meetings were held in Malta before the
Yalta Conference. The war ended in
Europe on 8 May 1945, known as VE-
Day, and in the Far East on 2 September
1945, known as VJ-Day, after six years of
world conflict.