The Malta WWII Experience

19/05/2026

This WWII pocket watch is in the Cusens Collection and on display at The Malta WWII Experience

Check out WRIST TALKS’s video.

03/05/2026

https://timesofmalta.com/article/german-pow-secretly-buried-st-julian-villa-historian.1127843

01/05/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BGB7dmDsh/

22/03/2026

Victorian-era, WW1 & WW2 Malta military installation keys and key tags at The Malta WWII Experience

(Cusens Collection)

19/03/2026

05/02/2026

Top row (left to right): King Haakon VIl of Norway,
King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, King Manuel Il of
Portugal, Kaiser Wilhelm ll of Germany (King of
Prussia), King George I of Greece, King Albert I of
Belgium

Bottom row (left to right): King Alfonso XIIl of Spain, King George V of the United Kingdom, King Frederick VIl of Denmark

Just a few years later, King Albert I of Belgium would be on the front lines with the Belgian army, leading resistance against Germany under his cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Belgium had been officially neutral since 1839 under international treaty, and Albert, as king, was constitutionally bound to defend the country’s independence. When Germany demanded passage for its troops as part of the Schlieffen Plan to attack France, Albert refused.

The issue was not a personal family dispute, but national sovereignty. Once German forces crossed the border, Belgium was at war. Albert chose to remain with his army and commanded Belgian forces in the field, especially along the Yser River. Family ties among European royals were common at the time, but dynastic relationships did not override state obligations when war broke out.

02/02/2026

DOM MINTOFF

Between 1950 and 1980, Dom Mintoff was a central force in Malta’s push to protect its interests as British colonial rule waned. As leader of the Malta Labour Party, he championed working-class concerns and pressed Britain to treat Malta as an equal partner rather than a dependency.

In the mid-1950s he backed integration with Britain, believing it could deliver social and economic parity; when this project collapsed, he turned decisively toward sovereignty, which was later acquired under the premiership of Dr George Borg Olivier of the Nationalist Party on 21st September 1964.

Returning as Prime Minister in 1971, Mintoff negotiated harder over Britain’s military presence, seeking higher compensation and greater control, and steered Malta toward neutrality and a more non-aligned foreign policy.

Domestically, he expanded welfare, education, and state-led development, insisting that political independence had to be matched by economic independence for ordinary Maltese people.

The Cusens Collection acquired a number of Dom Mintoff's personal effects, now in The Malta WWII Experience , including his wrist watch, pen, signet ring, cuff-links and the leather briefcase he used in his meetings in London in favour of Integration with Britian before the talks were abandoned in favour of a joint position with the Nationalist Party for full Independence for Malta.

01/02/2026

GUZI CHETCUTI

Guze Chetcuti occupies a distinctive place in Maltese cultural history as both a literary voice and a wartime communicator. Writing at a time when Maltese identity was being reshaped linguistically and politically, he contributed to the development of modern Maltese literature by using the Maltese language with clarity, dignity, and emotional depth. His work helped affirm Maltese as a vehicle not only for folklore and oral tradition, but for reflective, contemporary expression. Themes of resilience, moral responsibility, and attachment to homeland run through his writing, mirroring the national mood of a small island under immense pressure.
His importance extends beyond the page. During the Second World War, when Malta endured sustained aerial bombardment and severe hardship, Chetcuti served on Rediffusion as one of 3 Information Officers, the other 2 being George Zarb and Effie Ciantar— a role of strategic psychological value. Information officers were responsible for shaping public communication, maintaining morale, and ensuring that news and official messages were conveyed accurately but reassuringly. In a besieged society where rumor could be as dangerous as bombs, this work was crucial. Chetcuti’s literary sensitivity and command of language made him particularly effective in crafting messages that balanced truth with hope.
The intersection of these roles is key to his legacy. His wartime communication was not mere administration; it was narrative stewardship. He helped Malta understand its own ordeal while living through it. As a result, Chetcuti stands as a figure who linked literature, language, and national endurance at one of the most defining moments in Maltese history.

Chetcuti's' highest national honour; the Medalja ghal Qadi tar- Reppublika' as well many of his personal documents and papers were acquired by the Cusens Collection and are now on display at The Malta WWII Experience

29/01/2026

The remainder of the Temu infantry brigade with their helmets at The Malta WWII Experience