Pembroke relives its wartime history

An authentic wartime atmosphere was recreated during Pembroke Day celebrated last Sunday through a series of events organised by the local council.

Pembroke Battery was the venue for the first display by the newly set-up George Cross WWII Living History Team of the Association of Maltese Arms Collectors and Shooters (Amacs), which coordinated the event.

The re-enactment involved a RMA Bofors anti-aircraft team, prisoners-of-war, camp guards and civilians.

Pembroke barracks was one of the POW camps where the British authorities kept German and Italian military personnel taken prisoner mainly in North Italy in the final years of WWII.

The local council's official guests included the mayor of Roccalumera and several Italian guests from the town which is now twinned with Pembroke. Also present was the Chinese Ambassador and the Minister for Tourism and Culture. The spectators were also treated to a display of WWII military firearms which was set up by Amacs members. Members of the Military Vehicles Collectors Club (MVCC) set up a display of WWII military vehicles.

German POWs were ordered to cut round holes on the back of their uniforms and then sew blue patches underneath. This gave rise to the nickname Blaupunkt (blue spots) for the German POWs in Malta. The prisoners were given manual tasks, in an out of the camps. They repaired roads and built chapels. They were also about to start the reconstruction of the Royal Opera House when a protest by the General Workers' Union put an end to it. The POWs were generally well treated and it did not take long before Maltese hospitality led to lasting friendships, some of which continue to this day. There was a successful escape attempt when two POWs made it to Sicily on a small boat and from there walked all the way back to their homeland. All the POWs had been repatriated by 1948.

Amacs was set up in 1985 and is made up of six clubs. One of these caters for collectors of arms and militaria as well as re-enactors. The other five are involved in target shooting disciplines of various types.

Amacs is affiliated with several overseas organisations and its president is a board member of the Federation of European Societies of Arms Collectors.

The association lobbied for new arms legislation and was the motivating force behind the Arms Act 2005 which it helped draft and which will come into force on August 1 once the regulations are published.

www.amacs-malta.org