The Royal Malta Artillery (RMA) formed part of the British Army and was used as a transport wing for the British and US Army. Their main role was to transport missiles, with the average age of a soldier in the Regiment being only 20 years of age. 1st Regiment, Royal Malta Artillery arrived in BAOR during 1960 where they were accommodated at Moore Barracks, Dortmund. They then moved on to Wrexham Barracks, Mülheim, where they served until 1978. Unfortunately, on being recalled to Malta the Regiment was disbanded, with the crown being removed from the badge (above right). The Maltese Army now being called Armed Forces Malta (AFM). The AFM can be seen below.

Above information and images by kind courtesy of 18135827 Bdr M.Bonello, 1st Regt Royal Malta Artillery.

On May 14, 1968, then Maltese Prime Minister George Borg Olivier visited Wrexham Barracks, Mülheim, in Germany, the temporary home to 1st Regiment RMA as part of the British Army of the Rhine.

In an address before the assembled troops, he announced that he had obtained a two-year postponement of the British Government’s decision to disband the RMA and, in a historic declaration, he added that the Maltese Government would then assume responsibility for the RMA, thus establishing the regular element of the Malta Land Force.

And so it was; 500 officers and men from the Royal Malta Artillery took their oath of allegiance and were enlisted in the Malta Land Force (MLF) on October 1, 1970. The Royal Engineers (Malta) were also disbanded that same day and they and members from the Royal Signals were also given the option to join the MLF.