Malta Garrison 1950
From 1950 to 1956, the Malta Garrison only consisted of the Royal Marines, who in 1950 where temporarily absent in Hong Kong.
Married soldiers were paid an extra 9s 6d a day in Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) to meet the higher cost of living in Malta. Single soldiers received an LOA of only 10d a day.
Soldiers and civilians did not interact. The military had a number of welfare facilities for their servicemen. These included the Vernon Club overlooking the Grand Harbour and the Officers Marsa Sports Club noted for its 304 regimental and naval wall crests. The Marsa Sports Club had 2 polo grounds, 14 tennis courts, 3 squash courts, 2 rugby grounds, 2 cricket pitches and a golf course. At St George's Bay the army built a lido, when on summer afternoons up to 500 men and their families bathed. At Ghajn Tuffieha, was a transit and rest camp where the army took its leave.
Wives in the Pembroke area formed a committee to buy surplus household goods from families returning to England, for resale to new arrivals. The service families preferred Malta to a posting to the Canal Zone of Egypt. The breeze and old buildings of Malta made a pleasant change from the sand and hutments of Egypt.
The soldier's service in Malta was split in two seasons with their distinct routine. In Nov, soldiers went into their battle dress and worked from 08:30 to 16:30; in Spring they went into summer dress when work started at 08:00 and finished at 13:30 hrs.
