The Żejtun parish church still bears shrapnel marks caused by the German butterfly bombs dropped on May 2, 1942, killing 28 civilians, who were commemorated on Sunday.

The civilians died when the enemy’s delayed-action bombs detonated on the parvis of the church.

Żejtun councillor Sean Chircop said this was the worst tragedy to have hit the town, noting 10 females and 18 males had perished in the blasts. Eight of them were not even 14, and the youngest was five-year-old Mary Rose Felice, mayor Doris Abela recalled.

Others, among them Fr Karm Galea, suffered permanent injuries.

The commemoration, organised by the local council, consisted of a re-enactment, which also served to pay tribute to the 113 victims of WWII from Żejtun.

Their death certificates were displayed on the main square.

Re-enactors from the Battlefields and Malta Command Living History Group recreated situations that were part and parcel of everyday life in Żejtun during the world war.

We tried our best to show how the square would have looked in the 1940s

“We tried our best to show how the square would have looked in the 1940s,” Mr Chircop said.

The Żejtun Organisation to Empower You (ZOEY), a local NGO, manned a Victory Soup Kitchen, and members also played traditional games that were at the height of their popularity during the British period.

Visitors to the Żejtun square were invited to join in the games, too.