In 1948 I served as a young sailor aboard HMS Chieftain, a destroyer based in Malta. I was only 18 at the time and experiencing my first time away from home in England.

I was to spend two years on and off in Malta and during that time began to fall in love with the island. To visit Valletta was one of the highlights of my visit and I look back with great affection on that time in my life.

I would like the inhabitants of Malta to know that we in the Royal Navy thought highly of the manner in which they led their lives and I hope that in years to come history will deal kindly with the Royal Navy's relationship with the islanders.

As I write, memories come flooding back and I value every moment spent in Malta

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