How the Times of Malta reported the events pictorially on April 29, 1958.

I refer to Albert Cilia-Vincenti’s contribution One National Day (June 15) wherein it was said that on April 28, 1958, British commandos marched “up Paola Hill with fixed bayonets, under a hail of stone throwing” and with Dom Mintoff egging them on and asking them: “Are you afraid of commandos?”

Without attributing any such intention to Cilia-Vincenti, may I make a general plea for ending the national pastime of creating political/historical myths.

The April 28 riots and their political consequences are treated in detail in Vol. III of my Fortress colony: the final act 1945-1964 (pp. 43-63).

It was a strong contingent of steel-helmeted, baton-wielding policemen who charged up Paola Hill and was met by hails of stones, some of which were returned. The crowd was dispersed fairly quickly.

Though sensationally dubbed the ‘Battle of Paola Hill’ by The Daily Mirror (April 29, 1958), then police superintendent W. Abela told me in a recorded interview that “it was not a very big thing”. Later that day, Mintoff informed Joe Attard Kingswell that he had been told by Governor Robert Laycock “that unless the incidents stopped by five o’clock he would order out the commandos” (recorded interview with Attard Kingswell).

The incidents stopped and the commandos remained where they had been all day – on stand by. Ġużè Cassar, a member of the Malta Labour party’s action committee in charge of organising the day’s protest, confirmed this. He told me: “What we were primarily after was to create a commotion. But, as far as possible, not to have people getting themselves injured or killed... That is why we thought first of the police... The commandos made their presence felt. They frightened people. They were not active. They were not given the word ‘Go’. But they were there” (recorded interview with Cassar).

I hope the above puts the matter to rest.