Malta Command was an independent command of the British Army. It commanded all army units involved in the defence of Malta. Once mobilised the Command deployed its headquarters to underground hardened shelters{{cite book|last1=Weldon|first1=H E C.|title=Drama In Malta|date=2016|publisher=Pickle Partners Publishing|isbn=9781786258496|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tEiQCwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Malta+Command%22&pg=PT51|accessdate=16 July 2017|language=en}} and its combat units were deployed to fixed points in the Maltese countryside, from where they operated. This mobilised, but largely static, army garrison would be tested by aerial bombardment and naval blockade during the Second World War.{{cite web|title=British Military History - Malta 1930 - 1945|url=http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/documents.php?aid=41&nid=6&start=0|website=www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk|accessdate=15 July 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715002747/http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/documents.php?aid=41&nid=6&start=0|archivedate=15 July 2014}} Whilst Malta Command was already a functioning command structure before 1939 (it had existed in the Great War and was specifically mentioned in a House of Commons debate of 12 February 1917), the Second World War would see the Command operate as a genuine war-fighting headquarters,{{cite web|title=Votes of Credit Debate. , Section 360|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1917/feb/12/votes-of-credit|website=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)|date=12 February 1917|access-date=15 July 2017}} albeit in a static defensive role.

On 15 April 1942 the Island of Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI in recognition of the stalwart defence and fortitude of service personnel and civilians against a much more powerful Axis foe. Malta, an island of only 117 square miles, had been more heavily bombed than London had been during their blitz.{{cite web|title=BBC - WW2 People's War - Battle For Malta (A Soldier's Story)|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/47/a4424447.shtml|website=www.bbc.co.uk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=17 July 2017}}

World War I and the Interwar years

Malta Command existed in 1916,{{cite journal|title=THE HISTORY OF ANESTHESIA SOCIETY PROCEEDINGS|date=2015|volume=48|page=79|url=http://www.histansoc.org.uk/uploads/9/5/5/2/9552670/volume_48.pdf|accessdate=17 July 2017}} 1917{{cite web|last1=Light|first1=Sue|title=1-15 June 1917 - Scarlet Finders|url=http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/66.html|website=www.scarletfinders.co.uk|accessdate=17 July 2017}} and in 1929.{{cite web|title=Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria (1 December 2004) Serial 1477|url=https://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive/past-catalogues/prices-realised.php?auction_id=64&layout=detailed&offset=1440&limit=80|website=www.dnw.co.uk|publisher=Dix Noonan|accessdate=17 July 2017}}

Between 1935 and 1936 the following infantry battalions were on the Island and part of Malta Command:{{cite web|last1=Royal Lincolnshire and Royal Anglian Regimental|first1=Association|title=The Royal Lincolnshire and Royal Anglian Regimental Association|url=http://www.thelincolnshireregiment.org/malta+palestine.shtml|website=www.thelincolnshireregiment.org|accessdate=17 July 2017|language=en|archive-date=15 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015073204/http://www.thelincolnshireregiment.org/malta%2Bpalestine.shtm|url-status=dead}}

2nd Battalion The Lincolnshire Regiment
2nd Battalion The Rifle Brigade
1st Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers.

1939 - the peacetime garrison transitions to war

Malta's garrison was a single infantry brigade; comprising the 2nd Battalion the Devonshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, 1st Battalion the Dorsetshire Regiment and the 2nd Battalion the Royal Irish Fusiliers. An infantry territorial unit was also present, the 1st Battalion The King's Own Malta Regiment. The Malta garrison's artillery was largely fixed and consisted of light and heavy anti-aircraft; and coastal defence artillery regiments drawn from the Royal Artillery (RA) and Royal Malta Artillery (RMA). The Royal Engineers were also in evidence with British and Maltese serving in the Corps on the Island.{{cite web|title=History 2|url=http://www.maltaatwarmuseum.com/history-2.html|website=Malta at War Museum|accessdate=15 July 2017}}{{cite web|title=British Military History - Malta Command 1939|url=http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/Malta-Command-1939-.pdf|accessdate=16 July 2017}}{{cite web|title=History - The Land Forces|url=http://www.maltaatwarmuseum.com/history-2.html|website=Malta at War Museum|accessdate=15 July 2017}}

The Reinforced Army Garrison

On 11 March 1942 Malta Command became subordinate to General Headquarters (GHQ) Middle East.{{cite web|title=GHQ Middle East|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/Units/UnitSubordinates?UniX=6962|website=www.ordersofbattle.com|accessdate=17 July 2017}}

= Infantry =

In late 1939 the pre-war garrison was reinforced up to an infantry division (commanded by Major General Sir Sanford John Palairet Scobell).{{cite web|title=Malta Garrison 1940 - Infantry Brigades|url=http://maltaramc.com/regsurg/rs1940_1949/rmo1940.html|website=maltaramc.com|accessdate=16 July 2017|language=en}} The original infantry garrison, plus the three brigades that reinforced the island's regular British Army were titled 1, 2, 3, and 4 Brigades; but were subsequently renumbered in 1943 as follows:{{cite web|title=Malta Command (1943)|url=http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/Malta-Command-1943-.pdf|publisher=British Military History|accessdate=16 July 2017}}

231 Infantry Brigade – assigned to the Southern Sector under Brig L H Cox. HQ Southern Infantry Brigade at Luqa. Its infantry battalions were:
2nd Battalion The Devonshire Regiment
1st Battalion The Hampshire Regiment
1st Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment
2nd Battalion The King’s Own Malta Regiment
3rd Battalion The King’s Own Malta Regiment
232 Infantry Brigade – assigned to the Northern Sector under Brig W H Oxley. HQ Northern Infantry Brigade at Melita Hotel Attard next to San Anton Gardens. Its infantry battalions were:
2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers
8th Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
8th Battalion, Manchester Regiment{{cite web|last1=UK|first1=National Archives|title=Malta Command: Infantry: 8 Manchester Regiment|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1004095|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|accessdate=17 July 2017}}
233 Infantry Brigade – formed on 30 July 1941; assigned to the Central Sector under Brig I De La Bere. Its infantry battalions were:
11th Battalion The Lancashire Fusiliers
2nd Battalion The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment{{cite web|last1=UK|first1=National Archives|title=Malta Command: Infantry: 2 Royal West Kent Regiment|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1004092|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|accessdate=17 July 2017}}
10th Battalion The King’s Own Malta Regiment
234 Infantry Brigade – assigned to the Western sector under Brig F Brittorous. Its infantry battalions were:
4th Battalion The Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs)
1st Battalion The Durham Light Infantry
1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment

== Light support weapons ==

class="wikitable"

! style="text-align: centre; width:8%;"|Name

! style="text-align: centre; width:8%;"|Type

! style="text-align: centre; width:5%;"|Photo

! style="text-align: centre; width:10%;"|Notes

Two-inch mortar

| Light infantry mortar

| File:Rhodesian troops of the 60th King's Royal Rifles training with a 2-inch mortar in North Africa, 12 May 1942. E11699.jpg

| Each infantry battalion had 3 tubes per fighting platoon - circa 30

. 55-inch Boys anti-tank rifle

| Platoon anti-tank weapon

| File:ARMY TRAINING 001 013-0.55 inch Boys Anti-tank rifle.jpg

| Each infantry battalion had one per fighting platoon - circa 10. It was not a popular weapon to fire because of its extreme recoil and German tank armour was too difficult to penetrate, it was phased out in favour of weapons like the PIAT

.303 Lewis Light Machine Gun (LMG)

| Platoon fire support weapon

| File:Singapore Volunteer Force training November 1941.jpg

| Some infantry battalion (e.g. KOMR) had Lewis Guns in lieu of Bren LMGs. This was a WW1 design weapon but highly regarded because of the gun's magazine capacity and rate of fire

.303 Bren LMG

| Platoon fire support weapon

| File:Bren1.jpg

| Each infantry battalion had three per fighting platoon and on other fire support vehicles - circa 40

Personal weapons such as the .303-in SMLE, 9mm Sten or .38 service revolver are not included in this study.

= Artillery =

The Island's regular Royal Artillery force component was - like its Maltese counterpart - performing a mainly fixed defence role, even wheeled artillery tended to occupy fixed positions to defend against a hostile landing at beaches:

4th Coast Regiment, RA made up of (a HQ Battery, 6th, 10th & 23rd Coast Batteries)
12th Field Regiment RA - initially equipped with 18 Pounder Field Guns, but later equipped with 25 Pounder Field Guns (the only real mobile artillery support for the infantry brigades).{{cite book|last1=Doherty|first1=Richard|title=Ubique: The Royal Artillery in the Second World War|date=2016|publisher=History Press|isbn=9780750979313|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0YC3DAAAQBAJ&dq=12+Field+Regiment+RA+Malta&pg=PT267|accessdate=15 July 2017|language=en}}
26th Defence Regiment, RA made up of (a HQ Battery, 15th/40th & 48th/71st Defence Batteries).
The Royal Malta Artillery
Headquarters, RMA
1st Coast Regiment, RMA composed of (a HQ Battery, 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Heavy Batteries)

The anti-aircraft defence was understandably dense and British and Maltese anti-aircraft (AA) units were interwoven into the following order of battle:{{cite web|title=WO 373 Awards WO 373/78|url=http://www.hut-six.co.uk/WW2data/WO373-78.html|website=www.hut-six.co.uk|accessdate=17 July 2017}}

7th Anti-Aircraft Brigade
32nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
65th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
74th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RMA
4th Searchlight Regiment RA/RMA
10th Anti-Aircraft Brigade
4th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
7th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
10th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA
2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RMA
11th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery RMA.

== Heavy support weapons ==

By 1940 Malta Command had a small amount of modern mobile field artillery, much of its artillery was located in fixed positions in the anti-aircraft and coastal defence royal. It was manned by members of the Royal Artillery and Royal Malta Artillery.

class="wikitable"

! style="text-align: centre; width:8%;"|Name

! style="text-align: centre; width:8%;"|Type

! style="text-align: centre; width:5%;"|Photo

! style="text-align: centre; width:10%;"|Notes

.303 Vickers machine gun

| Battalion fire support weapon

| File:PrincessPatriciasCanadianLightInfantryTrainingMaximGunDec1942.jpg

| Each infantry battalion had four guns normally in a single Machine Gun Platoon

3 Inch Mortar

| Infantry mortar - battalion indirect fire support

| File:British 3 inch mortar crew on exercises.jpg

| Each infantry battalion had 6 mortar tubes{{cite web|title=British Infantry Battalion TO&E|url=http://www.britishmilitaryhistory.co.uk/webeasycms/hold/uploads/bmh_document_pdf/2_-Infantry-Battalion-1944-1945.pdf|publisher=British Military Hospital|accessdate=16 July 2017}}

QF 2-pounder gun

| Infantry anti-tank weapon

| File:2-pounder gun.jpg

| Each infantry battalion had two carried portee or dismounted in a 15cwt truck

QF 18-pounder gun Field gun/Howitzer

| Multi-role mobile field artillery

| File:18pdrTowedByMorrisTractor1938.jpg

| One RA coastal defence regiment of 24 guns

QF 25-pounder gun field gun/howitzer

| Multi-role mobile field artillery

| File:25 pounder field gun of 153rd Field Regiment 07-06-1943.jpg

| One RA field regiment of 24 guns

For details of fixed artillery see Royal Malta Artillery's equipment list.

= Royal Armoured Corps =

Less than a full battalion of various reconnaissance and infantry support tanks was present on Malta.

By 1942 Malta Command Tanks had a small mixed force of tanks known as "Malta Tanks, Royal Tank Regiment" during its time on the island. The only other armoured vehicles were the Universal Carriers of the infantry units.{{cite web|title=WWII Vehicles: The British Universal (or "Bren Gun") Carrier|url=http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/wwii-vehicles-the-british-universal-or-bren-gun-carrier/|website=warfarehistorynetwork.com|accessdate=15 July 2017|language=en}}

class="wikitable"

! style="text-align: centre; width:8%;"|Name

! style="text-align: centre; width:5% "|Type

! style="text-align: centre; width:10%;"|Notes

Light Tank Mk VI (Marks VIb&c)

| Reconnaissance tank

| Turret with 0.303 Vickers machine gun and 0.5 inch Vickers machine gun or turret with 15 mm and 7.92 mm Besa machine guns. Three Deployed

Matilda II

| Infantry tank

| 40mm QF-2 pdr gun and 7.92 mm Besa coaxial machine gun. Four deployed

Cruiser Mk III

| Cruiser tank

| 40mm QF-2 pdr gun and 7.92 mm Besa coaxial machine gun. Eight deployed

Valentine (Mark III)

| Infantry tank

| 40mm QF-2 pdr gun and 7.92 mm Besa coaxial machine gun. Four deployed

Universal Carrier
("Bren Gun Carrier")

| Lightly armoured tracked carrier

| .55 Boys anti-tank rifle and/or .303 Bren light machine gun. Ten deployed with each infantry battalion{{cite web|title=Universal Carrier|url=http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/gb/universal_carrier.php|website=www.tanks-encyclopedia.com|date=8 July 2014 |accessdate=15 July 2017}}

= Combat and service support units =

Source:{{cite web|title=WO 373 Awards WO 373/78|url=http://www.hut-six.co.uk/WW2data/WO373-78.html|website=www.hut-six.co.uk|accessdate=17 July 2017}}

Royal Engineers
16th Fortress Company
24th Fortress Company
173rd Tunnel Company
2 Works Company
127th Bomb Disposal Section
128th Bomb Disposal Section
Malta Command Signals, Royal Signals
8 Special Wireless Squadron
Royal Army Medical Corps
39 General Hospital RAMC
45 General Hospital RAMC
90 General Hospital RAMC
15 Field Ambulance RAMC
161 Field Ambulance RAMC
69 Field Security Section Intelligence Corps
226 Provost Company Royal Military Police
Royal Army Service Corps{{cite web|title=Malta Garrison 1946|url=http://maltaramc.com/regsurg/rs1940_1949/rmo1946.html|website=maltaramc.com|accessdate=17 July 2017|language=en}}
32 Company RASC (MT)
Malta Supply Depot RASC
Water Transport Company RASC
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
A static Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers Workshops at Pembroke Garrison
72 Detachment Royal Army Pay Corps
Royal Army Chaplains' Department.

= Local Maltese units (Regular and Territorial) =

Critical to the success and resilience of Malta's was local commitment and bravery the following units were fully integrated in Malta Command:{{cite web|title=Maltese Serving with the British Forces|url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/33039|website=www.iwm.org.uk|publisher=Imperial War Museum|accessdate=17 July 2017|language=en}}

End of the war and the post war period

On 2 December 1944 Malta Command regained its status as an independent command and it ceased its command relationship with GHQ Middle East in Cairo. The British would remember the war in a somewhat detached and romanticised fashion in films like The Malta Story; the Maltese never had a chance to record their views being viewed as 'plucky' citizens of a British colony.

In 1954 Headquarters Malta Command occupied the Auberge de Castille, known locally as "The Castille".{{cite book|last1=Richards|first1=Brian|title=Malta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XO6EDIMeTfAC&dq=Auberge+de+Castille+army+hq+malta&pg=PA36|publisher=New Holland Publishers|accessdate=18 July 2017|language=en|date=2008|isbn=9781845378714}} British Troops Malta became again part of Middle East Land Forces in 1960.

Forces in Malta would be reduced from 1964 and this led to acrimony between the Maltese and British Governments, and the post independence period was a period of bitterness, British forces on the Island in the front line of Maltese antipathy. Major-General Lord Thurlow commanded in 1962-63. In 1965, 4th (Leicestershire) Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment arrived to join Malta Garrison at St. Patrick's Barracks on the north coast of Malta. Under Brigadier Lord Grimthorpe OBE, Malta Garrison consisted of 4 R Anglian; 1 Battalion The Loyal Regiment; 1st Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (partially a transport regiment); and 1st Battalion King's Own Malta Regiment (TA).

Malta Garrison was in turn responsible to HQ Malta and Libya, under Major-General J D Frost, with the other components being HQ Cyrenaica Area and HQ Tripolitania Area in Libya.Michael Goldschmidt, Marching with the Tigers: The History of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment, via Google Books.{{page needed|date=June 2023}} Later, Major General Rea Leakey commanded HQ Malta and Libya in 1967-68.{{Cite web|url=http://archiveshub.ac.uk/data/gb99-kclmaleakey|title = Leakey, Maj Gen Arundell Rea (1915-1999) |website= Archives Hub}}

Malta Command was largely wound up by 1977 with all major units repatriated to the UK. Salerno Company of 41 Commando Royal Marines finally left the island aboard the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Landing Ship Logistic Sir Lancelot on 31 March 1979.{{cite web|title=Naval & Military - Salerno Company 41 CDO RM - Tal-Ħandaq Nostalgia|url=http://www.talhandaqnostalgia.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=4740&|website=www.talhandaqnostalgia.org|accessdate=18 July 2017|language=en}}

References

External links

[http://www.maltaatwarmuseum.com/ Malta at War Museum]
[http://www.lascariswarrooms.com/history.html Lascaris War Rooms, Valletta] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206101618/http://www.lascariswarrooms.com/history.html |date=2014-12-06 }}
[http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205206563 Imperial War Museum Photographic Archive]
[http://www.maltacommand.com/ A Malta-based living history group keeping the RMA's heritage alive]

{{British armies, commands, and corps during the Second World War}}

Category:Commands of the British Army

Category:Military units and formations disestablished in the 1970s

Category:Malta in World War II

Category:Military history of Malta