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Fort Campbell & Ghajn Tuffieha

Abandoned British Bases in Malta

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Fort Campbell, Fort Campbell or Fortizza ta' Campbell in Maltese also known as Il-Fortizza tas-Selmun

The last & most important Maltese Fort was constructed between 1937-1938 north of Malta's Victoria Lines

An impressive virtually complete Fort on a large plot a shame to see it falling into delapidation

Fort Campbell overview

1. Fort Campbell at 35°57'49.5" N 14°23'25.7" E

Within a boundary wall, buildings are spaced well apart so are naturally camouflaged from air making aerial bombardment difficult

Fort Campbell plan

2. Plan of Fort Campbell

With 3 x 6" Gun emplacements, modified in WWII with Radar & a Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun, with Pillbox's & many machine gun points

Barracks window

3. From interior of Barracks

Functional rather than aesthetic the Barracks were added in WWII, the Fort Campbell design endured & was used in WWII

Passage way entrance Passage retrun view

4. Entrance to passage
5. Return view of passage

Passage to crew quarters

6. The passage leads to crew quarters & undergound Magazine

Crew Quarters

7. Crew Quarters

Crew Quarters & Magazine Access

8. Crew Quarters with underground Magazine access right

Magazine surface access

9. Shaft with hand rails at surface to underground Magazine

Towards Buggiba Towards St Paul's Bay

10. Towards Buggiba
11. Towards St Paul's Bay

Mistra Battery is below the Fort protecting Mistra & Xemxija Bays, it has a coat of arms of Grandmaster Pinto above the entrance arch

Mellieha & St Pauil's Bay

12. Mellieha & St Paul's Bay

St Paul's Island was originally named after the Salomone family who owned land nearby, Salomone Island was also known as Selmun

St Paul's Island

13. St Paul's Island

Paul the apostle is said to have been shipwrecked here, the island was given to religion & in 1844 Saint Paul's Statue erected

The statue has been renovated a number of times & ruins of island habitation evident

No 2 6" BL Gun Emplacement

14. No 2, 6" BL Gun Emplacement

St Paul's Island

15. St Paul's Island centre

The Fort commands Mellieha Bay & St Paul's Bay

No 3 Gun Emplacement

16. No 3, Gun emplacement showing heavy anti-aircraft gun mounts

On top of Gun Emplacement No 3

17. From top of No 3 Gun emplacement

St Paul's Island

18. St Paul's Island

Note Road track below leading to Mistra Battery & the Fish Farm

Perimeter wall

19. Perimeter wall

Fire Station 1 Fire Station 2

20. WWII Fire Station 1
21. WW11 Fire Station 2

Nature reclaims ground

22. Nature is fast claiming the Fort

Soldiers carving

23. 539 CpL Zammit RE 1953 SPR 532 made his mark

Fort Campbell

24. Fort Campbell

Decommissioned in 1949 a caretaker crew presided until 1970

Thereafter, the Fort was vandalized & plundered, the main fire control building destroyed

Several steel beams have been taken from the Barracks & the roof has partially collapsed

Visitors may access, but beware some parts are dangerous

Mellieha Local Council, would like to restore the Fort but thus far has proved cost prohibitive

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Ghajn Tuffieha Training Camp

The Admiralty commandeered land from local farmers in 1902 & established the training camp. Initially Royal Marines were housed in tents, later wooden 'Crimea Huts' then more substantial masonry buildings

Colnel Dumfies & Colleagues

25. Colonel Dumfies & Royal Fusiliers outside the Officers Quarters in 1915

Ghajn Tuffieha Training Camp

26. The Camp Site in 2014

On raised ground it was subject of air raids so in WWI an Anti Aircraft Battery was added

Administration Hall

27. Administration Hall

Army Chapel

28. The Army Chapel

Army Chapel door Officers Quarters

29. Shuttered Chapel Door
30. Officers Quarters

The Chapel dates from 1949

Sergeant Tom Colman

31. Taking aim; Sergeant Tom Coleman RAAF Shooting Team

Photographed at a rifle competition at Tuffieha Barracks in 1953

Ghajn Tuffieha from air 1960

32. Ghajn Tuffieha Training Camp in 1960 from the air (Francis Ray Gregory)

Once the busiest spot on the islands Ghajn Tuffieha trained British & NATO forces up until the late 1960's

Hal Farh Tourism Complex

33. The 1970 Hal Ferh tourism accommodation complex

In 2012 it was reported the site would be converted into a luxury holiday complex, to date January 2017 there's been no progress

Strategic in the Mediterranean Malta has 6 Prehistoric Fortifications, 8 walled cities, 21 Forts, 37 Towers & 58 Batteries some complete, many in ruins & some many no more

Its worth listing former & abandoned air bases: Flying Boat in 1916 flew from Kalafrana, Hal Far 1922, Luqa 1930, Ta Quali & San Niklaw 1940, Safi 1942 & on Gozo the US Army Xewkija 1943

See more Ghajn Tuffieha Training Camp


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