Pembroke Garrison | |
---|---|
Pembroke, Malta | |
Coordinates | 35°55′30″N14°28′30″E / 35.92500°N 14.47500°E |
Type | Fortifications, Barracks, military families' quarters and Wartime Military Hospitals in WW1 and WW2 |
Height | Low rise |
Site information | |
Owner | Government of Malta |
Controlled by | Pembroke Town Council |
Condition | Largely intact with some derelict buildings |
Site history | |
Built | 1862 with several development phases up til 1941 |
Built by | British Empire |
In use | 1869–1977 |
Materials | Limestone |
Battles/wars | Logistic and medical support to World War I and the Siege of Malta (World War II) |
Pembroke Garrison is a dispersed collection of former British Army barracks built in the vicinity of Fort Pembroke, [1] northern Malta.
Pembroke Garrison developed around a Victorian fortification (Fort Pembroke), a gun emplacement, a barracks, a tented musketry camp, rifle ranges and training areas. [2] St George's Barracks [3] was built first, followed by Fort Pembroke, then St Andrew's Barracks and finally St Patrick's Barracks; built by the British in four main building phases 19th and 20th centuries. [4] Part of the garrison (St Andrew's Barracks) was used as a military hospital during the First World War; [5] during the war Malta's military hospitals and convalescent camps, particularly those at Pembroke, dealt with over 135,000 sick and wounded, most of whom were casualties of the Gallipoli and Salonika campaigns. [6] It remained in use by the British military until 1977. [7] St Patrick's Barracks was not constructed until World War Two. [8]
Army units based at Pembroke Garrison between 1954 and 1967 would have been subordinate to Headquarters Malta and Libya. [9]
At the height of its occupancy the British garrison at Pembroke included St George's, [10] St Patrick's [11] and St Andrew's Barracks, [12] places of worship, [13] firing ranges and Fort Pembroke itself; as well as a military repair base, a medical centre, a military cemetery, [14] a garrison school [15] and other soldier and family welfare facilities (i.e. a NAAFI shop, military post office and beach club (the 'Robb Lido' along the northern edge of St George's Bay [16] ) and regimental messes).
In May 1940 naval and army families living on the island were moved to Pembroke Garrison (into St George's and St Andrew's Barracks). [17] Once St Patrick's barracks were constructed in 1941 Pembroke Garrison would be a critical medical support base for the island. [18]
This is not an exhaustive list of the British Army and Royal Marines (RM) units that occupied the Pembroke Garrison, but it represents those that are recorded:
Although the Pembroke Garrison was nominally an Army facility able to house three infantry battalions, it is clear that the Royal Marines had a long post-war association with Pembroke.
The bulk of the garrison's sites were decommissioned and handed to the Government of Malta in 1977. The barracks and their environs are now divided into a thriving community of Pembroke made up public and private housing; and a number of notable colleges and schools, many of them located in re-purposed original British Army barrack blocks. [40]
The limestone karst countryside around promotes a unique ecology called garigue which the local authorities are keen to promote as a visitor attraction, along with the military heritage. [41]
St George's Barracks (the oldest of Pembroke Garrison's unit location) has not survived intact (as did St Andrew's and St Patrick's) and this probably reflects the fact that after British withdrawal from Malta there was not the imperative and funds that there is now to preserve and use heritage imperial building stock. Australia Hall, [51] the former REME workshops and the White Rocks Officers' Quarters [52] areas are still in need of development and restoration.
45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of the Fleet Commander.
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Pembroke is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, and it is considered to be the country's newest locality. To the east is Paceville, the nightlife district of Malta. The coastal town and tourist hub of St. Julian's lies to the southeast, and the residential area of Swieqi lies to the south. The hilltop village of Madliena is to its west, and Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq lies to the northwest.
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Fort Pembroke is a polygonal fort in Pembroke, Malta. It was built between 1875 and 1878 by the British to defend part of the Victoria Lines. The fort now houses the Verdala International School.
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St Andrews's School was a primary school located within the British Army garrison at Pembroke on the island of Malta. The school opened in 1908 as part of St Andrew's barracks an integrated garrison development at Pembroke It would serve as a primary school for army and families based in the Pembroke Garrison, closing in 1978 as the UK drew down its forces on Malta. After 70 years of educational activity at the site the school buildings and grounds were handed over to the Maltese Government.
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