Relatives of a boy whose heartbroken mother destroyed all existing photos of him when he died, are headed over from Australia in search of his grave and any surviving family.

Frederick Mudle was born in Malta more than 90 years ago to Emily and Henry, head groundsman of the then Corradino football grounds. 

From left to right, siblings Henry (known as Harry) and Norah, parents Henry and Emily and young Emily. Apparently Frederick was on the right of this photograph, but his mother cut him out.

The boy, who had four siblings, passed away in 1933 aged nine. The daughter of one of his sisters, Coral-Anne Laurence told Times of Malta that in her extreme grief, her grandmother destroyed all photos of Frederick and any documents relating to his birth or death. 

According to what she was told while growing up, Frederick died in his mother’s arms while she was feeding him.

Ms Laurence will travel to Malta with her family in March, equipped with the scant information that her 90-year-old mother could pass on: Frederick had been given a boy scouts’ funeral in Paola. 

She would dearly love to pay her respects to her uncle, but the only information she has managed to collect so far is the date of his death – June 30, 1933, the cause – cardiac paralysis per endocarditis, and his burial place – the Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery.

She still needs to locate the grave site and get access to, if possible, any photos of him: “We do not have a single photo of this child and I am unaware of any family in Malta. 

“It was a very large family, so I can only assume that some remained there.”

The information that Ms Laurence has about the family can be traced to her mother’s documentation of the events before and during the war in Malta. 

Her grandfather, Henry Frederick Mudle, was born in England in 1897 and he married Emily Maria Ruark, born in Malta that the same year. He was in the Royal Navy and, after being injured, was employed as the head groundsman of the Corradino Naval football grounds between 1920 and 1950. 

Sitting outside the shelter. Left to right Theresa Mudle, Emily, Jenny, Rose Deidun nee Moon, Norah, Rose's husband Charles Deidun and Henry

“The family lived on the grounds before and during the war. During the war, they, along with other relatives, lived in a bomb shelter that my grandfather had converted from a well. 

“This was also frequented by many naval personnel and at some stage, a pub was even run from the shelter. My mother writes of a visit from Lord Louis Mountbatten, when he went there asking for my grandfather to ready the grounds for a game of football for his men.”

The couple had five children: Henry William Samuel Lawrence Mudle, who married Theresa Camila Josephine Borg, Frederick, Emily Mudle, Ms Laurence’s mother Norah Jane and Genevieve Mary Rose Frances Mudle.

Among the relatives in the shelter, there was also uncle William Young and aunt Nellie, together with their three children, Nellie, William and Harriet. 

sarah.carabott@timesofmalta.com 

Norah, Jenny and Emily