‘I saw the bomb that hit the Opera House,’ says 100-year-old Cecil Bartoli

The bombing of the Valletta Opera House is a moment etched into Malta’s wartime history.

For Cecil Bartoli, who has just turned 100, it is a memory that feels as fresh as yesterday. Born in Floriana in 1926, he celebrated his 100th birthday on February 8 but he remains sharp and eager to recount stories from his youth, particularly those shaped by World War II. During the war, he admits, he had one persistent wish: “All I wanted was a camera to capture what I saw!” As a teenager, Bartoli often sought out vantage points during air raids. One of his hiding spots was beneath the bells of the Floriana church.

“I was hiding underneath the Floriana church bells as protection from the bombs,” he says, smiling at the memory.

“I saw a bomb falling on Valletta (on 7th April 1942)  and it was only later on that I learnt that it hit the opera house.”

Watching the raids from the bell tower became something of a habit.

“My family would shelter nearby, but I would sneak out to see the bombs. It was quite adventurous back in those days.”

My family would shelter nearby, but I would sneak out to see the bombs. It was quite adventurous back in those days- Cecil Bartoli

His father, Albert Victor Bartoli, also played a role during the war years. Bartoli proudly recounts that his father was a member of parliament with the Constitutional Party, led by former Times of Malta owner Gerald Strickland, and an officer during the conflict, assisting citizens during air raids.

As a schoolboy, Bartoli boarded at St Edward’s College, which had temporarily relocated to Mdina for safety reasons during the war. However, he was allowed home on Sundays.

One such Sunday, when he was 14, he returned to Floriana to find himself in the midst of chaos linked to the bombing of HMS Illustrious across the Grand Harbour fairway.

Cecil Bartoli in his territorial army uniform

‘It was hell’

The aircraft carrier had been heavily bombed by German forces and made its way to Malta for repairs in January 1941, becoming a prime target during the first blitz over the island.

“I had some friends there on the gun in Floriana. We were just about 200 metres from the Illustrious,” he continued. “As I heard the plane coming closer, I looked to my friend and asked where I could take shelter? He told me, quick go underneath the gun in the ammunition dump.”

What followed placed the teenager at the heart of one of Malta’s most intense air raids.

“It is one of the biggest air raids we had, and there I was opening boxes and passing ammunition.”

The scene across the Grand Harbour left a lasting impression.

“Hell. It was hell,” he says.

While HMS Illustrious sustained only superficial damage from a direct hit, the surrounding harbour cities Senglea, Vittoriosa and Cospicua, and to a lesser extent Valletta suffered extensive destruction.

Cecil Bartoli surrounded by cameras, projectors and VHS tapes, alongside awards from the Malta Amateur Cine Circle. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

'I just wish I had a camera'

“I just wish I had a camera to capture that sight. You would understand why we deserved the George Cross.”

After the war, Bartoli joined the Territorial Army and later worked with his father before establishing C & H Bartoli Ltd with his brother in 1962. The company, which supplies catering equipment, laundry equipment and floor coverings, remains in operation today.

His advice for building a long-standing business is straightforward: “You need people you can trust, who you don’t need to watch over. It goes two ways.”

Beyond business, he said he had quite an adventurous life. He shared his tales of travelling around the world, windsurfing around Malta and speeding across the sea in his boat.

He was married to Mary Ann Kissaun, an acclaimed concert pianist who appeared multiple times on the BBC and was memorialised in the 1953 film The Malta Story, starring Alec Guinness. Together they had a daughter, three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Later in life, he finally fulfilled his childhood wish and took up filmmaking. When Times of Malta visited him recently, he was surrounded by cameras, projectors and VHS tapes, alongside awards from the Malta Amateur Cine Circle. He also founded his own production company, Peacock Productions.

As he marked his 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends, he offered one piece of advice for longevity.

“Don’t smoke,” he says. “I never smoked and never will. But a little drink is a different matter,” he chuckled.

In his spare time the businessman enjoyed windsurfing around Malta. Photo: Cecil Bartoli