Having been back to Malta since the Brits left and seen again this poxy bit of urban beach, can anyone tell me why on earth it was designated as OFFICERS ONLY! Bitter? You bet...

Good comment Ivan. Why? In these more enlightened times it is highly unlikely but back then as empire crumbled............................I had many good times there (I'm not rubbing it in I hope) and some bad too! If you did not fit in, nuff said?

Its for "the preservation of good order and military disciplne"

What year is this? - I could actually bein this pic. Every afternoon here after school was the proceedure

Its not dated but most of Bernard's pics are 1960 - 62. This one is probably 1960, as his other similar one is dated.

I was there again in late May this year (2012) and was very impressed with how this area has improved. Lovely kids' playground above the beach. In fact the walk from here to Balluta Bay is very attractive. As to my time at Tigne Beach, just after I arrived in early 1965 a fellow sixth-former left for the UK and gave me his ticket, so for 18 months I managed to get access. But I stand by my initial remark. I had a Flight Sergeant father, decorated after completing 40 operations as rear gunner in a Halifax, and then a further 30 operations as rear gunner in Lincolns (Singapore) - but we were not qualified to sit on this rock! Yet civvies, as far as I recall, automatically were awarded officer status! It must be me (and the passage of time) because it never affected my Dad. One final point, and then I'll shut up, I heard a story about a three-part beach changing room in, I think, Singapore (or could have been Cyprus); signs at the entrances read "Officers and their Ladies"; "NCO's and their Wives"; "Men and their Women". Surely this is apocryphal...?

More than likely. That anecdote or something similar is often repeated but evidence is hard to find. Were there not separate bits of rock at Tigne? There were at Robb Lido. Being a civvy Brat with undeserved officer status, I didnt think Tigne Lido was up to much and preferred to slum it on the rocks at the Balluta Jukebox.

The segregation was not something I noticed, possibly too young, though thinking back our flats in Stella Maris Street were all for officers and "civvies" as we were. Father as "civvie" was very lucky to get out of Singapore, attacked on the island, and bombed and straffed on the way to Batavia.
One example of rank pulling, we had our trip on the Blue Ranger booked for our hols. ACD (Assistant Captain of Dockyard) I believe it was got his family out and tried to boot us off, he took it took it to the CoD who told him Mr. Rose is booked in and will be going!! Goes to show, rank pulling does not always work.

It does sometimes though. As an Apprentice I was once booted off my ship to make room for indulgence passengers (Surg Capt RN rtd and his lady wife) who wanted my cabin for a free trip to Malta!

Clearly my OM had more pull than the ACD . So how did an RN rtd. get in on the act?

They just applied for a trip. The blame lay with the Senior RFA Person who made the decision and ignored my protests. I ended up on another ship freighting from Abadan instead of the delights of Malta Station, which was still my home port. I got my revenge 50 years later by not attending his funeral!!

Abadan/PG or Malta, difficult choice had you been given the option

I bet that made him sit up and take notice, Prefect.

If this is 1960, I may be there. Looked for myself in my rubber ring and realised nearly all the kids are wearing them!! I spent thirteen summers on that beach so it sort of stays with me.