Copy to The Marquis Buttigieg De Piro C.St.J
Corps Commander
St. John Rescue Corps,
Fort Madalena
Malta G.C.
The person behind this this report did not divulge his name, but claimed to be an ex-member of the Corps. He alleges that he resigned from it because of the attitude of the Corps Commander towards his Corps members.
The St. John Rescue Corps - Malta, today is considered an elite organization; a branch of the Most Venerable Order of St. John, started by its commander, the Marquis Anthony Buttigieg de Piro, some ten years ago. He did not find anything established to fall on to, but built it from scratch single-handed. He was the initial Chief Rescue Instructor, having in the past, qualified as a light and Heavy Rescue Instructor at the Home Office Civil Defence School at Easingwold, in the U.K. He succeeded in training a reliable and enthusiastic cadre of Officers. Working as a team, the Corps went from strength to strength.
It has to be understood that this is a totally volunteer organization, without a single regular paid member as an established back-up. Discipline is an essential factor in its composition, and those who join have this explained to them from the very beginning.
Unfortunately, not all are able to make the grade. There are some who, even with impressive academic qualifications, still lack those leadership qualities and character for promotion. A very small number of such people have remained very bitter.
The brief of our Commander was to raise and train a corps of Volunteers able to carry out Light Rescue and First Aid only in National Emergencies, when officially called upon by the constituted authorities.
Had our Commander stopped at this, he would have been totally in order. Instead he readily participated in beach patrols when asked by government. Whenever officially called upon like the sad day of the "Um el Faroud" incident, both his Corps members and himself were not found wanting!
He increased his brief of Light Rescue to Heavy Rescue Work, especially from Heights. He promoted a very efficient division of divers numbering over thirty fully qualified persons, also trained to do Rescue work and First Aid on land.
He asked for help from the Maltese Government and was granted the use of an excellent training centre and Headquarters which is Fort Madalena. He knocked on doors of his old friends in Germany, the U.K., and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, from whom he acquired enough rescue equipment, blankets, rescue boots, uniforms and a vehicle to start off the training of large numbers of recruits. The rest of the vehicles and rescue equipment of the Corps have been obtained or constructed by the various rescue divisions. In some cases through help of sponsors and mostly through their own divisional funds using their personal vehicles.
Through the Commander's contacts in Germany he managed to send three contingents of Officers and leaders (of 30 persons each) to the German National Civil Defence Staff College at Ahrweller. Incidentally, there are no Sergeants or Corporals in the Rescue Corps, only leaders. Their is no Officers Mess. Our Commander insisted that all volunteers are social equals, off duty, and the mess is shared by even the newest recruit.
Over the years many have joined, received training and discontinued attending because they felt they have achieved their objectives by being trained. Quite a number went on to the Armed Forces and the Police. This is a continuous cycle, however, no one can take away the training given to these individuals should our country need them in an emergency.
How these disgruntled and bitter individuals can direct such a malign attack with completely false accusations at the Corps and our Commander's qualities as the man in charge is to us unacceptable!
We know our Commander never suffered fools or charlatans gladly, but whenever even the newest recruit has a problem and knocks his door, he is always ready to give all the help at his disposal, even when we want to share our personal problems with him.
It is true that their is keen but healthy competition between the Rescue Divisions; but this happens in all successful volunteer organizations, especially when they are mostly made up of young Mediterranean volunteers (of Latin temperament). Our Commander, contrary to the cliché' "divide and conquer" has always worked hard to unite and more often than not is successful.
For these reasons, we, the serving Officers of the St. John Rescue Corps - Malta, unanimously rebut and condemn this shameful attack on our Commander, who has raised, sustained and led the corps for the past ten years.
We feel that the writer or writers of this letter may be doing this
to vaunt the interest of other organizations they have recently joined
and that the whole object of their exercise is to damage the St. John Rescue
Corps through our leader the Marquis Anthony Buttigieg de Piro, with whom
we and our Divisions stand four-square.
We have the honour to be,
The Serving Officers of the Corps.
BACK
to Main Page