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Rodgers joined the RAF in his late 20s and was a trained photographer, very often doing aerial photography. He also documented his time in Malta in the late 1930s through photography.

Claudio Vincenzo Bonnici graduated in law in 1802. In 1803, he was given the warrant of lawyer. On the 13th of October 1817, a government notice announced that Dr. Claudio Vincenzo Bonnici was to act as a Crown Advocate replacing Mr Marquis Dr Gio Francesco Alessi with a salary of 2500 scudi. In 1818 his salary increased to 3000 scudi. On the 4th of April 1825, he was appointed to sit in the Criminal Court as a Majesty’s Judge – 1834 Criminal Code was dissolved; Judge Claudio Vincenzo Bonnici with other Judges were entrusted with the compilation of the new Civil and Commercial and of the Code of Civil Procedure – 27th of July 1835 was appointed as knight commander and he was knighted by the K.C.M.G – 1st January 1839 presented their resignation; 14th March 1839 died.

Monsignor Paul Cremona O.P., S.Th.D., was born in Valletta on the 25th January 1946 to Joseph and Josephine nee’ Cauchi. He completed his primary education at the Montessori school in Valletta, and then pursued the secondary level at the Lyceum in Hamrun. In September 1962, he joined the Dominican Order, and professed on the 29th September 1963. He studied philosophy and theology at the College of St Thomas Aquinas at the Dominican priory at Rabat, and was ordained priest on the 22 March 1969. After his priestly ordination, Mgr Cremona was sent to follow higher studies in Moral Theology at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome (Angelicum) where, in 1973, he graduated Doctor in Theology presenting the thesis The Concept of Peace in Pope John XXIII. Between the years 1974 and 1980, he was prior at the priory of Our Lady of the Grotto at Rabat. He was re-elected to the same office in 1997 and again served two terms up to 2003. In 1981, he was chosen Provincial of the Maltese Dominican Province,an office he held for two four-year terms. On termination of office, he was entrusted with the parish of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in Gwardamanga as its Parish Priest. Between the years 1993 and 1997, he was responsible for the formation of the Dominican novices and students at Rabat; an office he again held for a short period of one year between 2004 and 2005. In 2005, Mgr Cremona was chosen as Parish Priest of the parish of Jesus of Nazareth in Sliema. His nomination was made public on the 2nd December 2006 and he was ordained Bishop on the 26th January 2007.

During his priestly life, Archbishop Cremona also served the Archdiocese as the Archbishop’s Delegate for Consecrated Life, Assistant Spiritual Director at the Seminary at Tal-Virtu’, and as a member of the Presbyterial Council. He was also President of the Council of Maltese Religious Major Superiors (KSMR). He is the author of a good number of books dealing with theology and spirituality, including his thesis, “The Concept of Peace in Pope John XXIII’’, “The Church, Icon of the Holy Trinity’’, and writings on the Creed and the Commandments as well as four books he wrote jointly with Fr George Frendo, OP, now Auxilliary Bishop in Albania.

Birth: 23rd March 1917 in Attard, Belt, Valletta (Malta)
Died: 6th October 1991 in Pieta, Tal-Pieta (Malta)

When Mintoff became prime minister in June 1971, De Gray was given two options – face an inquiry or retire on pension. De Gray opted for the latter.

After De Gray’s resignation, Alfred Bencini was appointed commissioner.

Affie Bencini, although handpicked by Mintoff himself some ten days after Labour came to power in 1971 to replace De Gray at the very top echelon of the Police Force, stood up and tall against any external interference and political bullying coming from a political party in power – be it forthcoming from Mintoff himself or any other who tried to make use of the Police Force to further their own ends.
To this effect, relationship with Joe Camilleri, Mintoff’s personal Secretary (and friend) turned sour, to the point that both were summoned at Mintoff’s Office at Aragon (the OPM was still Auberge d’Aragon at the time) to square out the differences and bury the hatchet. The meeting ended with a handshake but the situation between the two remained bitter as Bencini was adamant to stamp out any political interference in the Police Force.
Sometime later Affie Bencini removed an Inspector from the post of Adjutant
There followed an immediate counter-order from Mintoff to leave everything as is, at a point when everyone within the Force had come to know about it. Bencini (rightly) felt that police officers could not continue looking up to him with the same respect and discipline as before and pointed this out to Mintoff.
This led to Bencini’s premature end from his post as Commissioner of Police. In August 72 Affie Bencini went out on protest leave and in January 1973 he retired on pension.

Dr G. Borg Olivier, was born in Valletta on the 5th July, 1911. He was educated at the Lyceum, Malta, and the Royal university of Malta where he graduated Doctor of Laws in 1937. He obtained his notarial warrant a year later.
He joined the nationalist Party in 1939 and till 1945 he was one of the three PN representatives elected to the Council Government. With the return of responsible Government in 1947 Dr Borg Olivier was elected to the Legislative Assembly and was later Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
In 1950 he held the post of Minister of Works and Reconstruction and the post of Minister of Education in the Nationalist Minority Government led by Dr Enrico Mizzi. He succeeded Dr Mizzi as leader of the Nationalist Party, Prime Minster and Minister of Justice in a Minority Government on the latter's death in December 1950.
He was Prime Minister of Malta on two occasions: from 1950–1955 and from 1962–1971 (he also assumed, during the second mandate, the portfolio of Minister of Economic Planning and Finance).
Borg Olivier believed in the economic and social development of Malta as a viable independent state and in the necessity of a mixed economy. His administrations had pursued corporatist policies to develop the tourism industry and construction as the engine of growth. Under his leadership, average living standards rose steadily as Malta began to decouple from a fortress economy purely dependent on the British military establishment.
During his second administration he had proceeded to London to ask for a financial agreement and demand Independence with full membership within the Commonwealth. After having had a series of talks with the British Government and after preparing a Constitution for an independent Malta, which was endorsed by Parliament and approved by the people in a referendum held in February 1964, Dr George Borg Olivier set 21st September as Malta's Independence Day.
In March 1965, he became Minister of commonwealth and Foreign Affairs in addition to his duties as Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Planning and Finance.
In the General Elections held in March 1966, the Nationalist Party was again returned to power with Dr Borg Olivier as Prime Minister and Minister of Commonwealth and Foreign Affairs.
Malta joined the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth and in 1970 he associated Malta with the European Economic Community.
After two electoral defeats in 1971 and 1976, Borg Olivier resigned as Leader of the Nationalist Party in 1977. He retained his parliamentary seat until his death in 1980.

Honours:
On the 14th June, 1968, Dr Borg Olivier was decorated with the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Malta by the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitallier Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.
On Independence Day, the degree of Doctor of literature (Honoris Causa) was conferred upon him by the Royal University of Malta.
On 25th January, 1964, Dr Borg Olivier was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Sylvester, Pope, by His Holiness Pope Paul VI.

The Department of Trade and Industry was set up in August 1955 within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to coordinate measures taken by the Government towards the industrial development of the Maltese Islands.

At the same time the new Department took over the functions and duties previously carried out by the Trade Development Office (under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce), covering the representation in Malta of the United Kingdom Board of Trade, and the Registration of Trade Marks, Patents and Designs. This function is now the responsibility of a separate Division within the Department, in the charge of the Comptroller of Industrial Property.

In December, 1955, the Director of Trade and Industry took over, in addition, the former activities of the Food and Commerce Control Officer.

Vivian Charles Byers De Gray was born in Portsmouth on January 30, 1912. His father Charles was a gunner in the Royal Artillery and his mother, Elizabeth Richardson, was born in Żebbuġ, Malta. The De Grays moved to Malta in 1917 and Vivian was first sent to Flores College. He later attended the British Garrison School and the Lyceum.

He started his working career as a civilian shorthand clerk with the Royal Army Ordinance Corps (ROAC) and later transferred to the Services Intelligence Office in Bighi. He joined the Police Force as a sub-inspector in 1934 after an open competitive examination, and in 1946 he was promoted to the rank of superintendent. In this rank he served as adjutant to three consecutive police commissioners.

De Gray, Vivian was first appointed Acting Commissioner in 1955 after his predecessor, George Cachia, resigned. Then on June 1, 1956, De Gray became Commissioner of Police, an appointment Mintoff described as a calculated risk by the Cabinet as he was aware that De Gray was a man of character. De Gray was more British than the British themselves.

When Mintoff became Prime Minister in June 1971, De Gray was given two options – face an inquiry or resign. He opted for the second and retired on pension. He had served as Police Commissioner for 15 years.

On May 18, 1972, De Gray was arrested and a search was conducted in his residence in Gwardamanġa. However, when the Prime Minister heard of De Gray’s arrest he ordered his immediate release. These orders were conveyed to Commissioner Alfred Bencini by Inspector Paul Mamo, who at that time was an attaché at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Vivian de Gray died on January 7, 1993, at the age of 83.

Herbert Grech served as Commissioner of Police from 1951 till November 1954.

The Malta Police Force was established under Sir Thomas Maitland's governorship in 1813-1814. Initially set up during Malta's transition to a British crown colony, it was structured into executive and judicial branches to enhance law and order. The Inspector General of the Police, today known as Commissioner, was to be placed at the head of the Executive Police. The Magistrates for the Island of Malta and Gozo were to be placed at the head of the Judicial Police. From 12th July 1814 onwards the entire management and control of the Executive Police came under the immediate supervision of the Inspector-General of Police who received his orders from the Governor.

The Inspector-General of Police was given power and authority to suppress all common affrays, riots and breaches of the peace and to apprehend and imprison, or cause to be apprehended and imprisoned, all persons guilty thereof or guilty, or suspected to be guilty, of any crime or offence whatsoever against the public welfare. He also had authority to superintend and regulate all inn-keepers of coffee houses, liquor shops and other shops, as well as all persons who kept horses, calesses, carts or other carriages or boats for hire, or who exercised the business of a porter or carrier. Another duty was the superintendence of all foreigners coming into Malta.

Following Malta's self-governance in 1921, the Police Force fell under local government control, marking a significant transition in its administration and operational focus.