This is my last of my batch of explores from the Maltese Islands to report on for this year but I still have unfinished business out there and will be returning one day. The two sites in this reports are revisits but I thought I would put them up again as a bit of a mini-report as my photos are now improved than as seen in the original 2015 reports.
Visited with local Maltese explorers (@Mtanti95)
XEMJIJA UNDERGROUND FLOUR MILL
The Second World War emphasized the vulnerability of the Maltese Islands to aerial bombandment and the difficulty to get essential supplies to Malta. In fact the authorities were considering surrendering because of the acute shortage of food which bought the inhabitants to near starvation. It was only the miraculous arrival of some of the ships of the Santa Marija convoy in August 1942 that changed the situation.
After the war, Malta was once again threatened with the prospect of another European war, this time made even more fearsome by the possible use of nuclear weapons. Therefore civil defence planning began to take place. The British Colonial Office took the decision to build eight underground flour mills in the Maltese Islands. The flour mills were built between 1950 and 1954. Of the eight flour mills: one has been completely demolished, and two are located in the same underground complex, meaning 7 remain in 6 locations. The one on Gozo Island is restored and occassionally opened up to the public. Of those that are accessible this one, Xemjija, is the best one to explore.
These flour mills were built far away from the Grand Harbour and the airfields of Luqa and Ta’Qali. The entrance to each flour mill faced north in order to minimise the effect of any nuclear blast coming from the Grand Harbour. They are completely dug into the rocks – a tunnel about 30 metres long, 2.5 metres high and 3 metres wide, leading to the first underground chamber split onto three levels. This contains the machinery that was meant to handle the final process of the milling – the production of 3 separate products: flour, bran and offal. The chamber is approximately 11 metres below ground level.
Obviously as an emergency facility, it was important that each mill was self-sufficient and for this purpose, an 80hp diesel engine and alternator was located in the lower chamber. Each mill had an underground silo capacity of some 1000 tons of wheat.
1. Really not meant to be here
2. In the entrance passage is the framed caretaker instructions, dated 1960
3. The entrance passage opens into a large chamber, split into 3 levels. We start at the top level... this flour mill has been restored and briefly, about 10 years ago, it was occassionally opened up to the public. I should say that I have no idea what all this equipment is and would be grateful if somebody could explain it all
4. Separate machine seen on the top level. Also on this top level is a passage leading into a large underground silo.
5. Dropping down onto the middle level
6. Reverse view of the middle level
7. No idea what these are. Any ideas? A generator is also present on this level
8. The lowest level
RAF SIGGIEWI COMMUNICATIONS BUNKER
With thanks to Oxygen Thief who originally gave me this as a lead in 2015. Originally I had it reported as Non-Public, made public now as it has had lots of traffic, well known to the locals and the construction work of the newly built nearby National Shooting Ranges has literally made this a simples walk-in
Situated within the the site of RAF Siggiewi, this bunker was used by RAF 840 Signals Unit, said to have been decommissioned in the 1960s. Seems to have been used as a Malta police store until the late 1990s. RAF Siggiewi was originally built on or about the 1st of May 1919 when the first shore-based radio communication with the UK from Malta was set up at Rinella. Contrary to some views, there never was a runway attached to Siggiewi, and the confusion could be over Qrendi which is nearby. As a signals centre it was an important link in the chain of radio stations stretching from the UK to the Far East, with RAF Habbaniya (Iraq) being the next major station on the "net". Like many of the military installations on Malta, the main complex (operations centre) was mostly underground and there was a satellite HF/DF station within walking distance of the camp, located on the road heading out toward Siggiewi. This came under the command and control of Luqa and was one of the many HF/DF stations (call sign MT) ranged throughout the Middle-East. El-Adem, (Libya) and Abu Sueir, (Egypt) were part of the original chain.
9. The first underground space seems to have been some sort of store with numbered bays
10. Slope leading into the second bigger underground space
11. Several large underground rooms in this bunker
12.
13. And a smaller room
14. Topside were some rock-hewn store rooms containing Maltese police equipment. Other topside rooms contained a generator room, a carpentry workshop and a telephone exchange
15.
Thanks for reading
Visited with local Maltese explorers (@Mtanti95)
XEMJIJA UNDERGROUND FLOUR MILL
The Second World War emphasized the vulnerability of the Maltese Islands to aerial bombandment and the difficulty to get essential supplies to Malta. In fact the authorities were considering surrendering because of the acute shortage of food which bought the inhabitants to near starvation. It was only the miraculous arrival of some of the ships of the Santa Marija convoy in August 1942 that changed the situation.
After the war, Malta was once again threatened with the prospect of another European war, this time made even more fearsome by the possible use of nuclear weapons. Therefore civil defence planning began to take place. The British Colonial Office took the decision to build eight underground flour mills in the Maltese Islands. The flour mills were built between 1950 and 1954. Of the eight flour mills: one has been completely demolished, and two are located in the same underground complex, meaning 7 remain in 6 locations. The one on Gozo Island is restored and occassionally opened up to the public. Of those that are accessible this one, Xemjija, is the best one to explore.
These flour mills were built far away from the Grand Harbour and the airfields of Luqa and Ta’Qali. The entrance to each flour mill faced north in order to minimise the effect of any nuclear blast coming from the Grand Harbour. They are completely dug into the rocks – a tunnel about 30 metres long, 2.5 metres high and 3 metres wide, leading to the first underground chamber split onto three levels. This contains the machinery that was meant to handle the final process of the milling – the production of 3 separate products: flour, bran and offal. The chamber is approximately 11 metres below ground level.
Obviously as an emergency facility, it was important that each mill was self-sufficient and for this purpose, an 80hp diesel engine and alternator was located in the lower chamber. Each mill had an underground silo capacity of some 1000 tons of wheat.
1. Really not meant to be here
2. In the entrance passage is the framed caretaker instructions, dated 1960
3. The entrance passage opens into a large chamber, split into 3 levels. We start at the top level... this flour mill has been restored and briefly, about 10 years ago, it was occassionally opened up to the public. I should say that I have no idea what all this equipment is and would be grateful if somebody could explain it all
4. Separate machine seen on the top level. Also on this top level is a passage leading into a large underground silo.
5. Dropping down onto the middle level
6. Reverse view of the middle level
7. No idea what these are. Any ideas? A generator is also present on this level
8. The lowest level
RAF SIGGIEWI COMMUNICATIONS BUNKER
With thanks to Oxygen Thief who originally gave me this as a lead in 2015. Originally I had it reported as Non-Public, made public now as it has had lots of traffic, well known to the locals and the construction work of the newly built nearby National Shooting Ranges has literally made this a simples walk-in
Situated within the the site of RAF Siggiewi, this bunker was used by RAF 840 Signals Unit, said to have been decommissioned in the 1960s. Seems to have been used as a Malta police store until the late 1990s. RAF Siggiewi was originally built on or about the 1st of May 1919 when the first shore-based radio communication with the UK from Malta was set up at Rinella. Contrary to some views, there never was a runway attached to Siggiewi, and the confusion could be over Qrendi which is nearby. As a signals centre it was an important link in the chain of radio stations stretching from the UK to the Far East, with RAF Habbaniya (Iraq) being the next major station on the "net". Like many of the military installations on Malta, the main complex (operations centre) was mostly underground and there was a satellite HF/DF station within walking distance of the camp, located on the road heading out toward Siggiewi. This came under the command and control of Luqa and was one of the many HF/DF stations (call sign MT) ranged throughout the Middle-East. El-Adem, (Libya) and Abu Sueir, (Egypt) were part of the original chain.
9. The first underground space seems to have been some sort of store with numbered bays
10. Slope leading into the second bigger underground space
11. Several large underground rooms in this bunker
12.
13. And a smaller room
14. Topside were some rock-hewn store rooms containing Maltese police equipment. Other topside rooms contained a generator room, a carpentry workshop and a telephone exchange
15.
Thanks for reading
Last edited:
