The story of how one Maltese family managed to produce 11 decorated officers along five consecutive generations for over 150 years is now on display at the National War Museum, instilling a sense of pride in their descendants and the nation.

The military achievements of members of the Gatt family during the British presence in Malta have now been honoured and immortalised in the permanent exhibition, which opened on Wednesday.

The officers, who marched in each other’s footsteps, all served in Maltese regiments from 1825 to 1970 and their photos, medals and career highlights are now up for viewing in Fort St Elmo.

“In every military intervention, Maltese regiments and, indeed, the Maltese population were renowned for having always gone beyond the call of duty, and recognition of its leaders at a national and international level is not just welcome but well overdue,” said descendant Anthony Gatt.

Achievements

“This initiative will add to the nation’s proud military standing,” he continued.

Commissioned by Heritage Malta, the exhibition showcases the accomplishments of Brigadier Alfred J. Gatt OBE MC, who was awarded the Military Cross in 1916 for bravery in Gallipoli, his father, Major General Frederick Gatt and his grandfather, Major William Gatt, his five sons and two grandsons.

The brigadier served as colonel commandant of the RMA in 1942, while his father was called upon in 1888 to raise and command the Royal Malta Regiment of Militia, later to become the Royal Malta Artillery.

Alfred’s five sons included Colonel Gerald Gatt RMA, Major Joseph Gatt KOMR, Colonel James F. Gatt RMA, Major Frederick Gatt RMA, later RAOC, and Major Henry Gatt RMA, who all served throughout World War II and beyond.

His grandfather was commissioned into the Royal Malta Fencible Artillery as a volunteer cadet in 1827, aged 16, while his older brother, Major General Saverio Gatt had joined the regiment two years earlier.

The brigadier also had an older brother, Major William Gatt, who served as ADC to the governor and died prematurely, as well as two grandsons, Major Peter Gatt and Capt. Neville Gatt, the sole survivor of the line of officers, now aged 85.

It was their descendants who approached Heritage Malta after noticing the “comparative exclusion of Maltese personnel and their efforts from being on display in the War Museum”, Gatt said.

The display at the War Museum

Medals

It took around three years to complete the project, he continued, adding “hurdles that were overcome were mainly down to major national projects, including the opening of the Maritime Museum and the restoration of The Grand Master’s Palace, in Valletta, which were always given preference”.

Each of the 11 officers is portrayed by a photo, authentic medals and an outline description of their careers and main achievements.

The “most precious, tangible” items on display are Alfred’s set of 14 medals, comprising the Military Cross and his investiture medal as a Knight of Grace before becoming commandant in WWII, Gatt said.

“The medals have no intrinsic monetary value but they do carry a sense of emotion and pride,” he said about the fact that they had been kept and stored for posterity.

We need to be more knowledgeable of our past achievements, not just the colonisers’ history- Descendant Anthony Gatt

But, beyond that, the display is “the story of how one family managed to produce 11 officers over five consecutive generations for over 150 years to work in the same vein”, he said.

Qualities that were key to progression in this career included a “sense of loyalty, dedication and self-discipline”, Gatt maintained.

Among the family traits that led so many of its members to join the army, he pointed to intrinsic leadership qualities, knowing right from wrong, strength of character and a sense of adventure.

“They also had strong principles and moral convictions,” he noted about his ancestors.

Pride

As to why every generation went down the same career path, Gatt put it down to a case of “a son learning from his father through observation and following in his footsteps”.

The exhibition is a public record of “the service given in the defence of Malta in this exciting part of history, during which sound leadership qualities would have contributed to discipline”, Gatt said.

“It gives the family a sense of pride and satisfaction at having achieved such high levels of seniority in every generation,” he continued about what the exhibition meant to them.

“There are currently no family members in the regular army but the family looks back and feels that this generation, at least, was made to feel proud of their ancestors’ successes.”

In a message to other families holding onto items of historical value that could shed light on our past, Gatt said that “keeping them stored at home for nobody else to enjoy misses the whole point of having kept or collected them. These are best shared and used as a means of setting an example for those searching for qualities to progress in their own lives.”

“Too much is said about the rulers of our country and too little about what we Maltese achieved,” he remarked, referencing the Great Siege. Around 700 Knights of Malta, 8,000 Maltese volunteers, mercenaries and others repelled an invading Turkish force of 35,000. Much is known about the Knights but the Maltese, who were crucial in the defence of St Angelo and St Elmo, are often overlooked.

“We need to be more knowledgeable of our past achievements, not just the colonisers’ history,” he concluded.