Some words to go with some images, but I don't have images to go with my thoughts, so forgive me, and perhaps follow my thoughts.
Went climbing, it was great, then we thought we would partake of the local culture, so we went to watch a live crucifixion! Not, as unto the death, but as an enactment. Yes it was a bit of theatre, but interesting, no? The site for the triple crucifixion was at Fort Chambray which is a lovely little Fort with a particularly beautiful view, and it was as much for this view, as for the body hanging, or body drapery that we went for.
We went too early, in fact we were a week early as it happens, so were walking around the fortifications when we noticed plaques within the large Fort Ditch, or moat. On inquiry and research, we found out they were the graves of British servicemen from the Crimea war, and from the Dardanelles and Saloninka campaign in World War 1.
Fort Chambray on Gozo was a hospital for Fever victims, and British Soldiers, and servicemen at various times. Consequently there were three grave yards in the vicinity. One grave yard in the Fort for Protestants, and one for Roman Catholics in the ditch to the left of the Port Cull is and one for Protestants on the right.
Readers of my blog will know I am very much anti war, but I am also very much anti insulting of soldiers, forced, or conscripted, or plain duped into doing the bidding and dirty work of Empires. It seemed there was firstly a Caste system of burial here, and second the graves were recently destroyed to make way for business. I talked to a few local Gozitans, who were still upset about this desecration of graves. Indeed it upset me also, to think of these lads getting blown to bits for God, and King, and Country, only to get a corner of a Ditch, and then have their resting place dug up, and their bones thrown away to make room for luxury apartments.
Some of my Face book Friends are soldiers and Veterans, and I would hate to see them treated this way. Some governments have been terrible in recent years with small benefits for injured and troubled Veterans, notably Britain (UK) and America. These two governments are quick to go to war, but slow to pay soldiers for their work and subsequent injuries. Shame on warmongers, respect the living and the dead, of both sides. In this case they were on "our" side and we did not respect them.
