R at St Edward’s he Cottonera Hospital

cluded the treatment of the civilian prisoners, the post, the canteen, the medication, dental services and neutral representation for visiting and assessing the conditions of camps.

Ottoman POWs were also treated at the hospital, as evidenced by photographs at the Exhibition of St Edward’s College. At one point, POWs were treated in a basement at the hospital but this practice was discontinued as being unsanitary and later they were housed in a gunpowder storehouse converted into an infirmary. The windows were only constructed in 1935, which is when the storeroom became the college’s chapel.

The distinguishing features of the chapel are its very thick walls and the roof structure, specifically designed to cause the least damage in the event of a fire and/or explosion by lifting upwards rather than sideways. A short distance away from the hospital stood the convalescent camp of the hospital – on the site where the Cottonera Sports Complex now stands.

Another interesting feature of the college is the small but striking exhibition which was opened in 2014 by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The exhibition includes two impressive mannequins dressed in the uniforms of ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Ancillary Corps) infantrymen. The room housing the exhibition still has a wroughtiron fireplace and attractively decorated with photographs and the original 19th-century site plans of the hospital. It also contains original hospital stretchers and a bed with insect-netting and a adjustable, wooden head-rest, plus medicine chests containing medical paraphernalia.

One interesting painting – with its story – depicts the hospital ship HMHS Goorkha which hit a mine about 15 miles northeast of Malta in 1917 but did not sink and was towed back to shore having suffered no casualties. The hospital received 141 surgical cases from this ship.

One cannot omit to mention Ms Violet Briffa, a young nurse at Cottonera Hospital during the First World War who later became Matron of the College from 1930 to 1965. For the writing of this feature, I would like to thank Prof. John M. Portelli, Old Edwardian and Chairman of the Board of Governors of St Edwards College, and Mr Albert Mamo, Old Edwardian and Member of the Board of Governors, for their kindness in inviting me to the college and giving me a tour around it.

The boys at St Edward’s College, known as the Cottonera Hospital in WWI, held a minute of silence on Friday to honour the heroes of WWI, and were then treated to a performance in commemoration of the war, in period costume (top right)