War casualties (1)

The correspondence about war casualties 17991800 started when Brian Tarpey queried where was the cemetery “built” for the burial of British soldiers and marines who died between 1799 and 1800 “while besieging the French in Valletta” (February 17).

His letter made two affirmations: firstly, that a cemetery was actually built specifically for British soldiers and marines and, secondly, that British troops had died during two years of besieging the French invader in Valletta.

It was to these two affirmations that I replied (April 30) quoting a statement by G. Mitrovich, published in London in 1836, that “the British troops did not have one single soldier killed by the enemy”. That was the whole point in reply to those two affirmations.

My reply has been supported by Joe Bugeja (May 10) on the authority of Carmel Testa’s book of 1997 with 893 pages confirming the statement made by Mitrovich in regard to British troops,

Mr Tarpey has consulted archives in England, Scotland and Malta as well as the correspondence of British generals and naval captains. He wrote on May 10 that “during the two years of French occupation there were British soldiers and sailors who died from enemy action”, apart from other causes. It is futile to carry on with this correspondence until Mr Tarpey quotes chapter and verse from his innumerable sources to provide evidence in support of his affirmations regarding the built cemetery and the death in action of British troops.