The Malta George Cross Fiftieth Anniversary Medal is a commemorative medal created by the government of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

and awarded by, or in the name of, the

President of Malta The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term and requires them to ...

. Established on 17 January 1992, it could be awarded to individuals who met the specified requirements of service and made application for award of the medal by 15 April 1994. The medal honours the collective award of the George Cross to the island of Malta during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Criteria

The medal was awarded for service during the qualifying period of 10 June 1940 to 8 September 1943, during and after the Siege of Malta. Three distinct groups were eligible for the medal, uniformed members of the allied armed forces and merchant marine, civilians on Malta who served in specific capacities during the qualifying period, and members of the Scout Association of Malta for service during the qualifying period.

Allied armed forces and merchant marine

The medal was eligible for presentation to all former uniformed members of the allied armed forces and merchant marine who, at any time during the qualifying period, served in Malta; in air or sea operations in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

connected to the defence, relief or supply of Malta, including participation in convoys and convoy escort; or in operations mounted from Malta against the

Axis Forces The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

. British citizens who were awarded the medal are allowed unrestricted permission to wear the medal so long as they are not in Crown Service.

Civilians

Civilians eligible for the medal were those who, at any time during the qualifying period, were in Malta and served in one of the following capacities:

Malta Police Force The Malta Police Force ( mt, Il-Korp tal-Pulizija ta’ Malta) is the national police force of the Republic of Malta. It falls under the responsibility of the Ministry for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms & Equality and its objectives are set ou ...

personnel and Special Constables; Malta Dockyard Police and

Malta Dockyard Malta Dockyard was an important naval base in the Grand Harbour in Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. The infrastructure which is still in operation is now operated by Palumbo Shipyards. History Pre-1800 The Knights of Malta established dockyard ...

personnel who served with the Dockyard Defence Battery; Nursing members of the Voluntary Aid Detachments, the

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

and

St John Ambulance St John Ambulance is the name of a number of affiliated organisations in different countries which teach and provide first aid and emergency medical services, and are primarily staffed by volunteers. The associations are overseen by the internat ...

, who served in naval, military, or civilian hospitals; Malta

Civil Defence Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, mit ...

personnel; Malta Auxiliary Corps; Malta Volunteer Defence Force or Home Guard; Malta Fire Brigade; and District Commissioners, Regional Protection Officers, and Protection Officers. Members of the Scout Association of Malta were also eligible for award of the medal for service during the qualifying period.

Appearance

The medal is circular, made of

cupronickel Cupronickel or copper-nickel (CuNi) is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. The copper content typically varies from 60 to 90 percent. (Monel is a nickel-copper alloy that contains a minimu ...

and in diameter. The

obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...

depicts the

Coat of Arms of Malta The coat of arms of Malta is the national coat of arms of the country of Malta. The present coat of arms is described by the Emblem and Public Seal of Malta Act of 1988 as a shield showing an heraldic representation of the national flag of Malta ...

with the year ''1992'' at its base. On the reverse is the George Cross in the centre, surrounded by the words ''BĦALA XHIEDA TA’ EROIŻMU U DEDIKAZZJONI'' and ''TO BEAR WITNESS TO HEROISM AND DEVOTION'' separated by a Maltese cross at the top and the date ''1942'' at the base. The medal is held by a straight suspension bar depicting a relief of olive branches and palm fronds meeting in the centre. The medal is suspended from a blue moire ribbon wide with two narrow central vertical stripes of white and red, each 3mm in width. The medal may also be worn in miniature on appropriate occasions. The miniature of the medal may is in diameter, and the ribbon in width.

References

{{Maltese Honours Orders, decorations, and medals of Malta