Brigadier Arthur Gera, a former commander of the Armed Forces of Malta who resigned when Prime Minister Dom Mintoff decided to split the Force into two, has died. He was 92. His death was announced on Facebook by his daughter Madeleine.

Brigadier Gera.

Gera resigned in March 1980 along with two of three lieutenant colonels in the AFM at the time, in protest after Mintoff controversially decided to create the so-called Task Force, headed by then Police Commissioner John Cachia and other senior police officers, none of whom had military experience.

The Task Force drained the AFM of some of its best resources including 1 (Infantry) Regiment, the maritime squadron and the helicopter flight.

Gera, who was trained at the British military academy of Sandhurst, had been appointed AFM commander in 1975, succeeding Brig Alfred Samut Tagliaferro. His place as AFM commander was taken over by Lt Col John Spiteri, later promoted Colonel.

The Task Force was dismantled in 1988 when the AFM was amalgamated shortly after the Nationalist government was elected.