Tribute to valour and honour

For the 16th year since the dedication of the GCIA Siege Bell Monument near the lower Barrakka in Valletta, the members of the George Cross Island Association will gather there today at 11.30 a.m. to celebrate the anniversary of the award of the George Cross to the people of Malta. They will also pay tribute to those, over 7,000 Maltese civilians and Maltese and Allied servicemen and women, who gave their lives so that we may live in peace in our Mediterranean island home.

As in previous years, the President of Malta will lead the ecumenical service and a wreath-laying ceremony. President Emeritus Censu Tabone, president of the GCIA, the British High Commissioner in Malta, the commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, the chairman of the GCIA Malta Branch and representatives of a number of service and civilian associations will take part in the wreath-laying ceremony. The conclusion will be the tolling of the Siege Bell itself (incidentally, this is not called the "Liberty" Bell, as stated by Naval Reservists in their report).

Over 70 members will be coming over from the UK for this and a number of other functions to join their Maltese GCIA colleagues. The majority of them served with us in those dark siege days between 1940-1943. Many of us are in our middle or late 80s with just a very few - including Dr Tabone, a sprightly 94-year-old - topping 90.

Other functions will be an ecumenical church service at St Paul's co-Cathedral, in Valletta, tomorrow; a band display by the AFM at Luqa Barracks on Thursday and a 20th anniversary dinner at the Suncrest Hotel, Qawra, today week when the President and Mrs Fenech Adami will be guests of honour.

In between, the GCIA will be represented at the ANZAC Day service and wreath-laying ceremony at the Pietà cemetery on Wednesday and at social events at the Royal British Legion (Malta Branch) in Valletta. The reunion ends on May 2 when we lay wreaths at the RNA Memorial in Pietà and at the Air Forces Memorial and Cenotaph in Floriana.

This is, of course, a special year since the George Cross Island Association was founded in 1987 when a former seaman , the late Fred Plenty - who served in the famous Santa Maria Convoy (Operation Pedestal) - helped form a number of district GCIA Branches in UK. The Malta GC Branch was formed some months later, with an original overall membership of over 2,000 members - now, of course, depleted but topped up with some of the children and grandchildren who joined us to keep the GCIA alive once we have left the scene.

Naturally, age is catching up with us but we are hopeful that some of us will survive to be able to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our foundation in 2012!

Major Clews is national chairman of the George Cross Island Association.