Christmas message from a World War 2 gunner, by Major Maurice G. Agius

1. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 1
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
FROM A
WORLD WAR II GUNNER
MAJOR MAURICE G. AGIUS ED RMA (RETD)
mauagius@maltanet.net

2. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 2
As the current Chairman of the Royal Malta Artillery
Association (RMAA), I often meet the representative of 3/11
Regiment RMA(T) at some function connected with World War
II. One of the aims of the RMAA is to keep the name of the
Royal Malta Artillery alive. Our two associations are doing just
that. Quite rightly the Armed Forces of Malta have retained the
basic RMA cap badge as its own badge.
11 HAA Regt RMA(T) was formed on 21 September 1939 and 3
LAA Regt RMA(T) in March 1941. When the Island became
Independent and the Malta Government took over
responsibility for the two RMA TA units and 1/KOMR, it was
decided to amalgamate the two RMA(T) units. The new unit
became 3/11 Regt RMA(T) and so the names of both units lived
on.
The Royal Malta Artillery did extremely well in the defence of
the Island during WW II. King George VI was so impressed by
the their skill and resolution that on 3rd April 1942 at the
height of the Battle for Malta he decided to assume the
Colonelcy-in-Chief of the Regiment - only a few days before
awarding the George Cross to the whole Island.
The Royal Malta Artillery has every reason to be proud of its
record.
I wish you all and your family a Very Happy Christmas and All
the Best for 2016.
Maurice G. Agius

3. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 3
POSTSCRIPT
Major Maurice Agius, now 94, lives on his own near Kappara,
Malta. Sadly, his wife Sheila (nee Chalmers) passed away six
years ago.
Maurice was born in Sliema, Malta in 1921, educated at The
Lyceum and at the Royal University of Malta. He was eighteen
years old when World War II broke out in September 1939 but
had already been in uniform two weeks, as he had joined the
Territorials in June of that year.
He was discharged from the Army after a few months on
compassionate grounds to attend university but was back in
uniform two days after Mussolini joined the war in June 1940
and soon afterwards was commissioned and served in 2nd
Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Malta Artillery, right
through the siege 1940-1943.
Wedding Bells – 28th
November 1946 – St Gregory’s Sliema
Maurice and Miss Sheila Chalmers.

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He stayed on in the army after the war; he qualified as an
Instructor in Gunnery (Radar) and graduated at the Staff
College Camberley. His army postings included tours at The
War Office, HQ Cyrenaica District, Libya, HQ British Army of
the Rhine and Dortmund as Battery Commander 3 Bty RMA.
The first Commander of the Malta Land Force (later renamed Armed
Forces of Malta) Major General Johnny Frost and Mrs Frost with Major
Maurice Agius after a MLF parade in Floriana.
Major Maurice Agius was the first Brigade Major HQ RMA
and so, in that capacity, met most of the RMA(T) officers but he
really got to know them better when Malta became Independent
and assumed responsibility for the three TA units with General
Johnny Frost as the first Commander Malta Land Force. He
was appointed GSO II MLF and Liaison Officer HQ Malta
Land Force and the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. He
was allotted two rooms on the top floor of the Castille and an
RMA clerk. Incidentally, the rooms had been occupied by Lord
Louis Mountbatten when he was then Signals Officer of the
Mediterranean Fleet in the rank of Lieutenant.

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Among the jobs Major Maurice Agius had to tackle were:
 Cancel the first MLF General Order issued by Frost's
staff before his appointment. They had changed the
units' names to 3 LAA Regt MLF and 11 HAA Regt
MLF.
 Arrange with Edgar Mizzi, the Attorney General to
make MLF personnel subject to The British Army
Manual of Military Law and The Queen's
Regulations up to and including the last amendment.
 Amalgamate 3 and 11 Regiments RMA(T) and
rename them 3/11 RMA(T).
 Plan the annual exercises for the regiments and
control them during DXM.
 Hold an Officers' Cadet Course to appoint new
Officers.
 Appoint TA officers as Staff Officers to help when
their unit was at camp.
Major Agius resigned from the Army in 1968 to run the Malta
Memorial District Nursing Association (MMDNA) as its Director
where he finally retired in the year 2000.
Comrades in arms meet again in 1992. H.E. Dr Vincent Tabone,
President of Malta presenting to Maj. Maurice Agius the Malta
Government George Cross Commemorative medal.

6. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 6
Bengħisa HAA gun position RA detachment in action.
The gun assembled and installed by Maurice Agius’s troop in March 1941.
3.7 inch HAA Gun position in action.

7. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 7
Predictor Detachment.

8. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 8
Gunfire at night.
Radar GL transmitter and receiver with cabins and aerial arrays.
The set also included a 15KVA generator.

9. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 9
3.7 inch HAA Mobile Gun.
Downed Messerschmitt

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3inch 20cwt gun, a World War One relic, used in Malta during WWII especially in
support of the 3.7inch and 4.5inch HAA guns during air barrages.
40mm Light Anti-Aircraft Bofors gun, fired at low flying aircraft by LAA regiments.

11. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 11
XHD19 Nadur HAA gun position. The 3.7 inch HAA gun was bolted to the concrete floor.
XHD19 Nadur HAA gun position, where the Officers’ Mess stood until 14 April 1942.

12. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 12
The loading platform and tray with Maj. Maurice Agius hand on lever starting automatic
loading and firing of the 3.7 inch HAA gun.
The four 3.7inch HAA Static Guns at HQ Armed Forces of Malta donated by Mr. Stan Fraser.

13. 3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library). Page 13
Acknowledgements
With thanks and appreciation for contribution
of photos and information for this file to:
Major Maurice G. Agius ED RMA (Retd)
Mr. Stan Fraser, wartime photos
Lt. Col. Herbert C. Abela, MBE
Mr. Paul Evans at the Royal Artillery Museum
The Royal Historical Trust
The Commander Armed Forces Malta
The Malta Aviation Museum
Major Dennis Rollo
Ms Veronica Galea
Mr. Chris Sant Fournier
and
Allied Publications 2008
Publishers of
“Recollections of a Malta HAA Gunner”
by
Maurice G. Agius
3/11 Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (PDF Library).
Edited 17 December 2015
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