"In war: Resolution
In defeat: Defiance
In victory: Magnanimity
In peace: Goodwill"
Winston Churchill
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's six visits and two gifts from Malta, which gave him great pleasure, were the focus of a lecture last Thursday by Douglas Austin, author of Churchill And Malta: A Special Relationship.
Having spent the first two years of his life in Malta after he was born at the King George V Memorial Hospital in Floriana in 1934, Dr Austin became a guide at Mr Churchill's home after his retirement four years ago.
This home features one of Mr Churchill's most treasured possessions: the Malta shield. On this silver shield, which is about a metre high and mounted on a painted wooden base, swords surround the coat of arms of Grand Master Jean de la Valette.
Made in 1914 by Antonio Attard, a silversmith in St Paul Street, Valletta, the shield was given to Mr Churchill by Edward Ceravolo in 1946.
By way of thanks, Mr Churchill sent Mr Ceravalo a box of 2,000 of his special Churchill cigars as well as a signed picture of himself framed in walnut. The picture has come into the possession of the Franciscan order, through Mr Ceravalo's nephew, Fr Remigio Vella.
Another gift from Malta which Mr Churchill treasured was the bronze bust standing at the Barrakka Gardens, an 80th birthday gift.
Judge Anthony Montanaro Gauci had organised the fundraising for the gift through an appeal and arranged for sculptor Vince Apap to go to London and model the clay bust during several sittings at 10 Downing Street.
The Judge presented the bust to Mr Churchill on August 3, 1955, and it was returned to Malta and unveiled on May 5, 1956.
Dr Austin said Mr Churchill first came to Malta in autumn 1907 en route to a hunting exhibition in east Africa.
He was then undersecretary of state at the Colonial Office representing the department in the House of Commons.
Mr Churchill was given a room at the Palace and wrote straight away to his brother Jack: "I'm installed in much state in this wonderful old Palace of the Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta".
When he arrived in Malta, it was in the knowledge that the Malta Constitution of 1887 had been revoked in 1903 by the previous Conservative government and nothing had happened on the issue since - which meant Malta was under the direct administration of the Colonial Office.
Though still a junior minister at that time, he convened a meeting of all the leading figures on the island at the Palace during which many of the participants called for the establishment of a new constitution, which would have elected Maltese representatives to take decisions on domestic affairs.
Mr Churchill gave a lengthy reply, which was printed in the local press, saying to representatives when they complained of existing arrangements: "I do not feel any astonishment that you do not like them. Indeed, if I were in your place I should not like them either."
In a lengthy memorandum, Mr Churchill had proposed the amendment of the voting procedure in the council of government so as to allow the Maltese representatives to be in a majority whenever purely local matters were under consideration. Unfortunately, nothing had come out of this.
Mr Churchill arrived again in Malta five years later on the Admiralty yacht the HMS Enchantress.
The main purpose of the visit, during which he was accompanied by then British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, was to discuss the problem of Mediterranean security, with Lord Kitchner who was based in Egypt.
Mr Churchill had proposed the withdrawal of the six battleships based in Malta, which was met with fierce opposition in London, from the War Office and from Lord Kitchner.
In order to replace these battle ships, Mr Churchill agreed to send to Malta up to four of the latest battle cruisers and provide a completely new battle squadron for Malta.
He was back again a year later in relation with these decisions.
By 1921, Mr Churchill was once again responsible for the civil administration of Malta and presided over the establishment of the new Malta constitution that year. At one stage, he thought of coming to Malta to inaugurate the new constitution but this was done by the Prince of Wales in November of that year.
Mr Churchill's fourth visit to Malta was in January, 1927. He was then Chancellor of the Exchequer but made a private visit, prompted by an invitation from Admiral Lord Keyes who had known Mr Churchill for many years.
Mr Churchill arrived at Valletta with his brother Jack and his 15-year-old son Randolph. Jack stayed at the Palace with the governor and Mr Churchill and Randolph stayed with Keyes at the Admiralty House, now the Museum of Fine Arts.
Mr Churchill played his last game of polo during that visit and wrote to his wife saying: "I got through the polo without shame or distinction and enjoyed it very much."
Mr Churchill had his painting equipment with him but no evidence has as yet been discovered that he painted while he was Malta.
Mr Churchill did not visit Malta in the 1930s. He rejoined Cabinet in 1939 and nine months later became Prime Minister. For two years after Mussolini declared war on Britain and France, Mr Churchill was concerned about Malta and his attention was very much focused on the country.
His personal Malta files during the war amount to over 1,000 pages and they're full of signals, memoranda and minutes relating to the island. Mr Churchill had hoped to come to Malta in February 1943, but it was not until November that year that he made his fifth visit on his way to a conference in Tehran.
During his next visit in January 1945, he persuaded then US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to join him in Malta to establish a common negotiable position for the Yalta conference in Crimea.
Dr Austin's lecture was organised by the Malta Historical Society. It was held at the Casino Maltese in Valletta and was chaired by historian Henry Frendo.