War Museum

I continue once again with my posts about Malta experiences, and this time I will showcase a different but in the same time interesting place which I visited during my Erasmus internship there.

I don't know how many of you are interested in museums. Each the time when I do get to visit another country or city first thing on my list is to visit all the museums in the area. My favorites are always military, war, archaeological and navy museums.

There is something about war museums that fascinates me a lot, maybe because I am so much for history and knowing the past. At school I always got the best grades in history and I used to read a lot of history books especially concerning the Nazi ideologies and those surrounding Hitler's life. I said used to because now I am more addicted to tv serials and so on.

In Malta

There are not so many museums of interest in Malta to tell you the truth, but there is one which makes up for all those missing. I came across this museum at the end of my stay there, I always knew about it but it was very hard to fit the visit into my schedule.

In the morning I was at my internship and in the afternoon working a part time job. And the museum opening hours are between 10 a. m. and 17 p. m., so I couldn't find a way to do it.

Until one day I remember was such a rainy day in Malta, and usually when it rains which is not to often in less than 30 minutes the water is until your knees and I am not exaggerating, the streets are all covered in water and the buses schedule are messed up, people they don't go to work and so on...

So it was one of this days on a Friday morning, rain started and as missed a bunch of buses we were already late to work, so we decided not to go and instead visit the War museum as I always wanted to.

Said and done, we jumped in the first bus to Valletta and we found the museum.

World war II museum

As I said opening hours are from 10 a. m. until 5 p. m. Monday to Sunday. The ticket was 10 euros but if I remember well, I paid like 5 euros with my students discount. Oh boy, I was so excited to enter and discover all these fascinating items.

Of course my roommate Peter was with me even if he does not go for museums as me he find it better then actually spend a day at the office.

With my first step inside the museum I knew this will be a experience one of its kind. I mean I did visit a lot of military museums in my life but my feeling was telling me that this one will be one good story.

The entrance

How many of you can say that they visited a museum with an entrance like this? Not me for sure, amazing first impression!

After getting my ticket I also filled my hands with a bunch of brochures and picked up the audio tape with many options of languages, of course I choose mine in English and did a quick reading about the history of the building hosting the collection.

They say the place was before like a secure place for people in case of war or raid or any type of danger, which I thought was awesome, made this place more original.

First thing I noticed after proceeding inside was a year number on the ground, so I guessed my adventure started with the year 1929 after the World War I. According to the information I read, inside we would find items and rare collections of objects used during the War World II and especially pieces from the German Nazi's and the knights of St. John from Malta.

First item situated near the entrance is this big projectile which the legend on the walls was saying that the Nazi's released this under the waters of Malta, but fortunately this bomb never reached it's target and didn't exploded. Extremely impressive!

The years of the floor is a good idea for people to explore better the museum, they have indications which side you may need to go. I never saw anything like this.

Bunch of Nazi's items featuring a model of their solo airplane during the war, as well with the swastika and what is interesting are those pilot glasses, with the actual blood on the lentils, according to the legend I read. How creepy?!

Indeed a lot of items from the German Nazi's I came across in the museum, they have a very rich and vast collection, and this are all recovered during their so called invasion on the island. There are items left behind or just found on the land.

As I remember now from the picture above that the following watch and sunglasses may have belong to Hitler himself. I don't know how much true that story is but I don't think he would have left behind a watch like that.

Old money and the crosses are the symbol used by the knights of St. John in Malta.

In the picture above there are personal medals showcased alongside the swastika, a Nazi symbol during the wars.

As I move from year to year a lot of items such as motorcycles and jeeps are standing there to be admired and learn their story. Such an impressive collection, with each step I took I was more overwhelmed. Definitely one of the best places for military museum lovers.

A special room filled with airplane models, engines and an actual real size model of airplane was showcased there.

British airplane engine, for those you don't know the island of Malta was a colonized by British Empire for a long time. And during the second world war it was attacked by both Italians and Germans in order to conquer it.

Model of pilots uniforms and projectiles.

The airplane's model, as I said, ir real, original size. How impressive is that?

Other things I found interesting was item from personal hygiene and others used in medical situations.

I have so many pictures I am trying to show you guys the most interesting of all, as you can see old grenades, water bottles and coins and money used during the War.

I am not an expert on army projectiles but this one is a one big bomb and as they say in the legend it was German shell with fuse inside, recovered from Galipolli, which for those who don't know is a place close to Istanbul where a big war took place between the Turks and British soldiers with the victory of the Otoman Empire.

1947, two years after the second War ended. And the feeling that the tour has come to an end. But I still have some interesting pictures for the end.

Such as this original Cuban cigar, I am not a smoker but I know the Cuban cigars are the best in the world. Probably this one was smoked by a great leader, maybe Hitler?!

When I thought I could not be impressed anymore I saw this picture at the end of my tour which I loved so much. The museum has truly showed me a part of the history which is always exciting to know, and the way how they portrayed it with items, small movie clips with images during the war, the years on the ground, made this the best museum I have seen during my sights. Definitely worth the visit!

As I exited by the same door I entered, I noticed outside some bombs, of course belonging to the Germans.

I hope you all enjoyed my story as I enjoyed telling it! Until my next post.