The memory of 15 Maltese servicemen who died in a plane crash 48 years ago was revived yesterday with Mass followed by a wreath-laying at Pembroke Military Cemetery.

Two British servicemen had also died when a Hasting transport aircraft broke in half and burst into flames as it was taking off from El Adem in Libya on a flight to Malta on October 10, 1961 – 22 soldiers survived, although several were seriously injured.

The Maltese soldiers, serving in the British army, were returning to Malta after helping build a road with the Royal Engineers. The crash was the biggest single loss of Maltese men in uniform in peace time.

The event was organised by the Royal Engineers Association, Malta.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.