Brigadier Claude Gaffiero remembers ....
The following is an extract from PETER APAP BOLOGNA’s second volume of Memories 1973-1988 published last year and available at Agenda bookshops. In these extracts BRIGADIER CLAUDE GAFFIERO, was interviewed by the author. Brigadier Gaffiero succeeded Pete
“When Sir Maurice Dorman was dismissed by Mintoff, it was very sad. This was especially so because Mintoff did not himself come to San Anton Palace to tell him that his tour of duty had come to an end, but sent the Administrative Secretary. The Dormans were particularly disappointed that they were instructed to leave immediately. Someone must have complained as Mintoff extended the time by a week or so, giving them a better opportunity to prepare for their departure.
‘Sir Anthony who, when Chief Justice, used to act as Governor-General when Sir Maurice was absent, was then appointed Governor-General. That was an extremely good move, because Sir Anthony was non-political and greatly respected, therefore he had the whole of Malta backing him. Had there been a political appointment, it would have been very divisive. We kept everything going virtually as it had been in the past and there were no problems.
“Let me give you an idea of Sir Anthony’s standing. His first visit abroad as President was the invitation of President Giovanni Leone of Italy who hosted the Maltese delegation at the Qurinale. There was an amusing incident when I was shown to my palatial bedroom, beautifully furnished and with a huge mirror in a gilt frame with lots of cherubs. But there was no sign of a bathroom, so I stepped out of the room where there was a magnificently attired footman, and asked where the bathroom was. “Semplicissimo”, he said as he walked up to the mirror and twisted the leg of one of the cherubs. The mirror swung open and there was this magnificent bathroom, big enough to hold a ball.
“I must tell you about Archbishop Gonzi and Cecil. Gonzi was tremendously rank conscious... He was an honorary Brigadier General in the British Army, but when the Army abolished that rank… Gonzi saw this as a demotion… He invited Admiral Cecil to his Palace and said ‘Look Admiral I’ve recently got to know that the rank of Brigadier General no longer exists. Do you not think that, in the circumstances, I should be promoted to the next rank, where the word General actually features?... Cecil replied without hesitation, ‘Of course Your Grace, how very remiss of us not to have realised this before.
Please leave this in my hands and it will be sorted out’. Some days later Cecil returned to the Palace with an epaulette bearing the badge rank of a Major General, and congratulated the Archbishop on his promotion… Gonzi was delighted, and on formal occasions would wear the epaulette pinned to his cassock.”
Peter Apap Bologna to Brigadier Gaffiero: “Agatha Barbara was your last President. How were things with her?”
“Miss Barbara was a reluctant President. She would tell me that she did not want the job. She said that she had broken down in tears when Mintoff offered it to her, but he had talked her into it.
“I must tell you about a trip I took with her on the occasion of the seventieth birthday of Kim il Sung, the President of North Korea. [she was offended at not being received properly]… She sent for the Chief of Protocol and said to him ‘This is no way to treat Heads of State, you have slighted my country, and you may go and tell President Kim that I will not participate in any of the events on his programme because of the slight which I have endured.’
“Now this was tremendous of Miss Barbara. We were several thousand miles away from home… Agatha stood her ground, and did not attend the celebrations… At two in the morning there was a knock on my door, and there was the Chief of Protocol and a little woman with a measuring tape round her neck, ‘We would like to measure Miss Barbara for a fur coat’, they explained. They were bending over backwards trying to appease her. Kim il Sung despite all his commitments gave a lunch solely for the Maltese delegation, and after that our hosts’ protocol lapse was forgiven and we continued attending the celebrations. I take off my hat to Agatha’s memory, whatever people may say about her, she was a strong personality and one of the few who would have stood up to President Kim, despite his good relations with Mintoff.“