The Siege of Malta in WWII - Anniversary Tour led by Piers Storie-Pugh

Independent travel to London Gatwick Airport for the early morning flight to Malta. On arrival we have a private coach transfer to the capital Valletta where we check-in to the Grand Excelsior Hotel for our 7-night stay. Join your guide for a pre-dinner drink and introduction to the days ahead before a welcome dinner served in the hotel restaurant.

This morning’s walking tour takes us first to the Upper Barracca Gardens for a panoramic view of Valletta’s Grand Harbour protected by 16^th century fortifications that were modernised and strengthened by the British garrison on the island. Learn about the Malta Convoys and the extraordinary story of the SS Ohio, a part of the relief effort codenamed Operation Pedestal during the Siege of Malta. We visit the Cathedral of St. Paul where memorial panels list the armed forces and ships involved in the siege, and at Casa Rocca Piccola we see the tunnels and two big wells that were converted into bomb shelters. Our exploration of Valletta includes a visit to St John’s Co Cathedral and Malta 5D where a unique cinematic experience takes us on a remarkable journey through Malta’s illustrious history including the islands’ heroic approach during World War Two. The evening is at leisure.

Our exploration of Valletta continues today with a visit to the Malta Memorial, which commemorates almost 2,300 airmen who lost their lives whilst serving with Commonwealth Air Forces during the Second World War. Pieta Military Cemetery is the final resting place of 1,303 Commonwealth casualties of the First World War and 166 casualties of the Second World War. Here we pay our respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We’ll see the Siege Memorial Bell – a simple monument built in 1992 to commemorates the 50th anniversary of when Malta received the George Cross, and the statue dedicated to the Unknown Soldier, symbolising all those who died at war. Fort St. Elmo is home to Malta’s National War Museum where Second World War exhibits include a number of iconic military heirlooms. Here we see Faith, which, along with Hope and Charity, was one of three Gloster Gladiator biplanes stationed at the Hal Far airbase, and the Jeep nicknamed Husky that was used to drive US President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he met with Winston Churchill in Malta. A visit to the Hypogeum Prehistoric Caves completes today’s tour and the evening is at leisure.

The Lascaris War Rooms is an underground complex of tunnels and chambers, and one of the most fascinating legacies of Malta’s World War Two experience. Each of the fighting services had operation rooms in the Lascaris complex from which they coordinated the defence of Malta, convoy escorts and other military operations. It also served as the Advanced Allied HQ from which General Eisenhower, along with Royal Navy Admiral Cunningham, General Montgomery and RAF Air Marshall Tedder, directed Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. After our tour we’ll visit Fort Rinella, which is home to one of only two 100-ton guns in the world. During World War Two the fort was used by the Navy to store supplies. Our final visit is to the Malta Naval Cemetery. Once belonging to the Admiralty, this tranquil cemetery is today cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and is the final resting place of more than a thousand casualties from the two World Wars. The evening is at leisure.

Enjoy a full day at leisure for independent sightseeing and shopping. Alternatively, you may choose to join our optional excursion taking us by ferry to the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago, Gozo.

Today we discover a hundred years of Malta’s Aviation history. Our visit to the Malta Aviation Museum has a special focus on the Air Battle of Malta Memorial Hangar where we see a number of restored WWII era aircraft. Our tour continues to Imtarfa Military Cemetery where more than 1,400 civilian and military graves are all cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. They include six members of Winston Churchill’s delegation killed in a plane crash whilst heading for the 1945 Yalta Conference in Crimea. Amongst the many striking memorials there are 253 graves of casualties from the First and Second World Wars and we’ll pay our respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during a private Service of Remembrance. In the village of Mgarr we enjoy a light lunch in the il-Barri restaurant before visiting the rock-hewn shelter that lies beneath it. Dug entirely by hand by about 400 people, it is one of the largest underground bomb shelters in Malta. We return to the hotel by way of the coast road stopping for a boat ride into the famous Blue Grotto. The evening is at leisure.

This morning a leisurely boat ride is a chance to enjoy a completely different perspective on Valletta’s magnificent Grand Harbour. The afternoon is at leisure for you to continue your exploration or simply relax before tonight’s Farewell Dinner served in the hotel restaurant.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before checking out of the hotel in readiness for our late morning transfer to the airport and return flight arriving at London Gatwick in the late afternoon.