Crowds stood in silence honouring the soldiers who died during World War I, as the two-ton cannon at Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta, thundered to life.

In a ceremony organised by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, the firing of the Maltese gun was synchronised with hundreds of gun salutes across nations and countries that formed part of the British Empire, all marking the 90th anniversary of the Armistice.

Fired at noon, the cannon blast marked the end of the conflict on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. A two-minute silence followed the gun salute.

In his address, Mario Farrugia, FWA's chairman and chief executive officer, said that, while Malta was not directly involved in the conflict, it had served as a hospital base for the British forces.

Tourists were welcomed at the Upper Barrakka, where wartime poetry was read, penned by authors such as Siegfried Sasson and Wilfred Owen. An entrance fee was charged, with proceeds going towards the purchase of an original World War I, 25-pound British Vickers quick firing field gun.

An 18-pound British gun has already been bought and will be flown to Malta for free by the Royal Air Force by Christmas, Mr Farrugia added.

During the event, an information tour was given to tourists and interested passers-by detailing the various naval cannons which lined the bastions, the various types of ammunition fired from such guns, and the ways in which the guns used to be loaded, cleaned and maintained.

World War I was the first global conflict, forcing almost every nation to take sides. Lasting four years from 1914 to 1918, some 40 million perished, half of whom were military casualties. Of these, approximately 600 were Maltese casualties.