Fort Finder

Valletta Underground
Order Of Saint John Knights Passage Way Tunnel

🇩🇰 Order of Saint John Knight
🇨🇵 Napoleon Forces
🇬🇧 British Empire
🇲🇹 Maltese People
Type: Fortification Wall Tunnel
Condition: In Ruins
Open to the Public: Recently no
Built: 16th – 17th Century
In Use: 1566-1990’s
Wars: French Invasion of Malta (1798)
Siege of Malta (1798-1800)
World War 2 (1939-1945)
Materials: Concrete, Stone & Rebar
Location: Valletta, Malta
Over the ages Malta has become home to many empires from the Romans, to the Knights, the French & British Empire to say a few. And with this the country has undergone many fortifications and structural changes from its foundations. Soon after the attack of Malta at the Great Siege that the Ottoman Empire would take the city with ease. Malta managed to overcome a great Empire’s Army and withheld defeat.
Unfortunately, a lot of parts of Malta fell to the Ottomans but some Knights managed to overcome and become victorious after the death of the Ottoman leader Dragut killed in battle. Soon after the Knights of Saint John did up plans to refortify the city of Valletta so no armies would dare to ever take it over again. This was heavily funded and work began in 1566 by the Grand Master Jean de Valette on 28th March 1566.
Over the years the fortifications of Valletta underwent extensive alternations to fortify its walls and bastions. Ditches were added, tunnels were dug deep into them so knights could access without being seen by enemy forces and could supply men below its walls and have easy access to the city above if attack happened. Many were secret ones were hidden into Bastion and curtains as the fortification wall would wrap around its deep layered and shield sight of any knowledge of their exitance.
The tunnel we located was constructed for this very purpose. And was constructed by the Order of Saint John Knights and would lead deep up into the upper part of the city to the ditch below. No record of it exists so yes this was a very unique find. The British also made alterations to this during the WW2. They added cutaway rooms and stairs to other smaller rooms to act as shelter of air raid shelters for servicemen and civilians during the war of World War 2.
Present Day.
Now closed up the tunnel itself was not easy nor will we supply its location to protect it and to protect people entering. In very bad state of decay the tunnel is now used for storage and drainage from the street above. We captured a small glimpse into what once was and what should always be remembered this tunnel helped many people, knights and soldiers over the years for many reasons.
Thank you from all the team at Fort Finder
And appreciate the support so far.
We will see you soon.
Follow us on
Facebook: Fort Finder
Instagram:
Fort Finder

WW2 Searchlight +
Sound Locator Position
🇬🇧 British Empire
Type: Search Light + Sound Locator
Condition: In Ruins
Open to the Public: Yes
Built: Early 1900’s
In Use: 1900’s-1945
Wars: World War 2
Materials: Concrete, Stone & Rebar
Location: Għajn Tuffieħa, Malta
Situated the back of Hotba I-Bajada overlooking Golden Bay lies in ruins a strange looking military structure of some kind. Not a lot of history on the location itself but records show us the location was used for a WW2 Searchlight and adjacent to it the British Empire mounted a sound locator device to monitor sound. Acoustic devices such as this were first introduced pre 1900 for the sole purpose to pick up acoustic sound from long distances.
WW2 SEARCHLIGHT (Għajn Tuffieħa)
A British 90cm anti-aircraft searchlight on a tethered mobile mounting (NWMA) was wheeled into a roofed protective searchlight emplacement at an adjacent position to the rear which included an observation platform, a generator room and limited accommodation. Used heavily during WW2 to search for enemy plane at night. Many more were situated all over Malta and Europe. One can still be seen today in Fort St. Elmo Military museum.
ACUSTIC SOUND LOCATOR DEVICE
Before the advent of the airplane, acoustic location was applied to determining the presence and position of ships in fog. However little faith was placed in this because the apparent direction of sounds in fog at sea was known to be sometimes deceptive.
Acoustic locator devices was used from mid-WW1 to the early years of WW2 for the passive detection of aircraft by picking up the noise of the engines. Horns give both acoustic gain and directionality; the increased inter-horn spacing compared with human ears increases the observer's ability to localize the direction of a sound. The technology was rendered obsolete before and during WW2 by the introduction of radar, which was far more effective.
In Malta at the time of WW1 & WW2 the main devices were the British Mk 1 sound locator (1914-18). It was redesigned and improved and the device was fitted with Four-horn acoustic locator attachments. At this particular location we have documented, the British had a much larger four-horn acoustic locator mounted at the position as the area it needed to cover was on a grander scale. The techncology was used throughout Europe and even the Germans had such locator sound devices.
Now today the Searchlight has been removed and dismantled. The sound device locator also we suggest decommissioned and dismantled. The images we provided are similar devices that were used along the Victorian Lines, Malta.
We like to thank the page Friends of The Victoria Lines Trail who provided us with the image of the sound locator. Please go check out their content page on Facebook.
Facebook:
Friends of The Victoria Lines Trail
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofTheVictoriaLinesTrail/
We also like to thank our followers for your support on our page.
Hopefully we will see you on the next location.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fortfinder

Fort Finder

Thermal Baths
🇬🇧 British Empire
Type: Thermal Baths
Condition: Ruins
Open to the Public: Yes
Built: 19th Century
In Use: 19th – 20th Century
Materials: Limestone
Location: Kalkara, Malta
Just at the outer fortifications of Villa Bigi beneath now what’s the Science Museum at Kalkara lay strange structures, forgotten in time. Evidence shows us they were used as Thermal Baths for patients needing thermal cures for the British fleet servicemen affected with joint & muscles pains as well as many other signs of fatigued muscles. Built back in the early 19th century and used by the Royal Navy Hospital at Bigi, Malta. These structures remain to this day, a brief reminder of the true myth of the British Empire and the sacrifice of the British & Maltese people.
There is a few scattered close to the shore line of the naval hospital. How it was supposed to work was, the baths used to be filled with cold/warm seawater, which used to be heated in the pumping room, and thus going through this process would pass back to the baths. It was thought that seawater purities was rich in minerals such as magnesium, zinc iron and potassium. And this process was said to cure inflammation and protect the skin. It was heavily used over the years and patient thought the baths were very effective.
During World War 2 these baths were used as naval pillboxes and by the harbor of battleships with supplies. They would also be a great act of cover during constant air raids over Malta at that location. Soldiers would use these as line of defense and great bunkers to run to if air raids would happen. Present day, no restoration ever happened to these great historical industrial pieces but left to ruins, some now totally lost to bad weather and seas, and some lay abandoned & forgotten. They are still accessible to this day, but be safe as some are very unstable and prone to have an accident to be fatal. Always be safe, respectful and do not do anything that can cause harm to you or anyone while venturing to these places.
We like to thank you for the support from all the team.
And wish everyone to follow our page.
Facebook: Fort Finder
Instagram:
Fort Finder