Murals at the Main Guard

I am delighted that the Main Guard is being restored. Between 1931 and 1972 it served as the Officers’ Mess of the 1st Bn The King’s Own Malta Regiment.

May I add some observations to the otherwise very good article by Daniela Attard Bezzina (December 14). The last mural was indeed by Adrian Strickland in 1972. He was helped by the late Paul DeBono and myself. What was referred to in the article as “two sizeable flags” are in fact reproductions of the regimental colours of the King’s Own Malta Regiment. Adrian, Paul and I felt we had to paint the colours before the regiment was disbanded on March 31, 1972.

This particular mural is important as it shows the queen’s colour based for the first time on the Maltese flag and not on the Union flag.

The regimental colour was the only one to bear the George Cross in any British regiment. It also bore the wreath of oak leaves as in the KOMR badge and not the Union wreath as in the rest of the British Army. The last set of original colours were presented to the KOMR by Queen Elisabeth II in 1967. Incidentally, during the Victory Parade in London in 1947, the KOMR colours had the unique distinction to march separately from the UK, Dominion and Colonial Colours that marched ‘en masse’. This is not well known now but it was indeed a great honour.

There is a very effective trompe l’oeil on climbing the narrow staircase of an officer (not a soldier) with a drawn sword, tripping on his own scabbard, so one gets the impression he is going to fall on you (picture). The officer is obviously late for his guard duties. It does not represent ‘a true-life story’. The mural was reproduced in the The Graphic on August 8, 1881.

It used to be said that in the two adjoining rooms, where there is a low arch, there was a picture of a woman in some state of undress, which got painted over because some colonel’s wife objected.

There was a ditty which ran:  “I drink to myself and one other, May that one other be she, Who drinks to herself and one other, And may that one other be me.”

Colonel Melville Lee, in 1969,  published a very informative booklet on the British Infantry from 1799 to 1971. It includes an excellent catalogue of the murals with a description of the regiments represented by the murals and the time they were stationed in Malta.

I am not sure the Bibliotheca has a copy.

Louis J. Sant Cassia – Wardija

Air pollution

The first case of death by air pollution has been proven in the UK. 
It would be a landslide here in the car-choked roads chuffing out exhaust fumes but does Robert Abela care? He’s busy covering his boss. 

Kevin Hodkin – Xagħra

From the online comments board

Food delivery job contracts under review

The land of cheap labour and abuse driven by greed and the ‘u iwa mhux xorta’ mentality.

Nina Agius

I wonder how many of them actually hold a valid driving licence!

W.A. McCarthy

So Bolt, like many other companies using zero hours contracts, have no responsibility in making sure people working for them are legal.

“Asked about the contractual engagement between couriers and recruitment agencies, Bolt argues that it is the responsibility of these agencies to ensure that they provide their couriers with legal contracts.

“As for self-employed couriers, Bolt says it is the individual’s responsibility to make sure that they are eligible to work as self-employed."

Use and abuse?

Gordon Cook

I guess, no more food delivery service very soon. Pity because it was the one positive thing about COVID.

Lenny Degiorgio

This is a very ‘humane’ step forward to stop abusing the less fortunate than us!

Charles Micallef

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