Military uniforms, weapons, vehicles and soldiers' personal belongings from the Second World War will be put on display at the Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC), as the world marks 80 years since the launch of an operation that began in Malta and liberated Europe from the Nazi regime.

The three-day exhibition was announced on Monday and will be held between August 4, 5 and 6 to mark the 80th anniversary of Operation Husky, which took place between July 9 and August 17 1943, and which was one of the final major efforts to overthrow Hitler and Mussolini's regimes in Europe.

Also known as The Allied Invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky was a major military strategy by which Allied forces invaded Sicily and later overthrew Mussolini's fascist regime, before proceeding to Germany where the war was won and Europe liberated.

The operation involved more than 3,000 ships and more than 4,000 aircraft that landed over 150,000 ground troops, and a substantial part of it was planned in Malta, from where the Allied forces left for the mission.

The initiative is a joint collaboration between the Culture and Tourism Ministries. PHOTO: Jonathan Borg.

The exhibition, which will cover military history throughout the ages, will put military vehicles, armaments and era uniforms on display for the public, and it will include a section dedicated specifically to Operation Husky and another section - called The Soldier at War - which will exhibit a private collection of soldiers' personal belongings.

Re-enactment groups will also hold performances with era costumes.

Visitors will be further drawn into the war experience thanks to two concerts - one by the Armed Forces band on August 4 and the other by a string quintet playing songs from the second world war on August 5.

The concerts will be under the direction of Maestro Jonathan Borg and Maestro Michael Laus respectively. During the event announcement on Monday, Laus said his concert will feature songs that were popular during wartime, including the famous Bella Ciao.

The initiative is being organised by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the Culture Ministry and supported by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), the Valletta Cultural Agency (VCA) and Arts Council Malta.

'If we forget the past we are bound to repeat its mistakes'

Speaking at the launch of the initiative on Monday, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said that exhibitions like this one serve to remind us of our history and ensure that future generations do not forget what went on in Europe in the last century, because whenever we forget, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes.

He also said the initiative lives up to the government's promise to organise "a summer full of culture".

Owen Bonnici said the initiative lives up to the government's promise to organise "a summer full of culture". PHOTO: Jonathan Borg.

"Up until a few months ago people would tell me we will struggle to recover from the pandemic," he said. "Not only did we recover, but we're probably doing even better than before."

There's strength in unity - Tourism Minister

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo echoed Bonnici's views, saying the exhibition will help ensure the nation does not forget its history, while still looking forward to the future. 

Bartolo said the collaboration between his ministry and Bonnici's shows that there is strength in unity. He highlighted the strong recovery in tourism numbers, which are surpassing pre-pandemic numbers, and said that was  thanks to several government measures that are leaving an immediate impact.

Clayton Bartolo said the collaboration between his and Bonnici's ministry shows that there is unity in strength. PHOTO: Jonathan Borg.

"Tourists do not come to Malta just for the sun and sea. There's a cultural and historical aspect to it - a part of our unique identity that we need to take care of," he said. "We want to ensure that history remains alive in our future generations."

Until the exhibition is inaugurated in August, the MCC will be holding another exhibition of photos and paintings made by soldiers who serve in the Armed Forces of Malta.

Exhibition tickets are available for sale at showshappening.com.