The George Cross

To the very eloquent letters published on October 16, praising the presence of the George Cross on our flag, I think I should contribute a reference to the historical background.

As Malta's first High Commissioner in London on the attainment of independence I was instructed by George Borg Olivier to consult with the Royal College of Arms about his wish to do away with the blue canton used by the British to print the emblem.

The problem was that according to heraldry the silver of which the cross was made was "white" and could not be used on the white of the flag. After a lengthy discussion, the College came out with the suggestion of "fimbriating" the cross with a thin red line, thus replacing the blue canton - and that is how the flag is.

Dr Borg Olivier strongly insisted on retaining the cross on our flag. In his own words to me he said that its retention symbolised an "augmentation of the glory of the nation's past history".

This was in consonance with the award on the palace wall "to honour the Maltese people to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history".