Fort Finder

WW2 Pillbox Hide Out
🇬🇧 British Empire
🇲🇹 Maltese People
Type: Military Pillbox
Condition: In Ruins
Open to the Public: Yes
Built: 1939
In Use: 1539-1980’s
Wars: World War 2 (1939-1945)
Materials: Concrete & Rebar
Location: Mgarr, Malta
Malta has so much history awaiting to be found. From its beautiful historical old cities across the scenic and wonderful escapes away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. We find something interesting worth capturing and documenting our findings each time. To explore Malta, one would always find something magnificent and worth taking a second look. For the love of History and to respect the sheer effort some of these places under went to construct in times when machinery did not exist.
Lay scattered around Malta the British Empire constructed small but effective military pillboxes. These were supposed to protect servicemen and women if Malta was to be taken by ground forces or enemy invasion. These were rugged house like buildings. Able to withstand the most brutal of attacks from small arms to take direct hits of passing bombings from the skies.
Yes, there were a lot constructed around the Maltese Island’s, now to confirm a figure we would estimate at least over the one hundred mark as we located many to this number but don’t hold us to a correct figure as the British left these structures under Top Secret records, if the enemy knew their exact location, well the enemy would zero them in for artillery / air raid fire.
This particular one was unique, so not a boring looking pillbox in state of decay. No, this one was very hard to locate and was found after we found it by chance off the beaten trail track in Mgarr, Malta. At some point it had been converted into a home / farm of some degree. The pillbox a two-story design and lookout post at the top, now in complete abandonment we can see a total neglect and disrepair of the site. Livestock consumed the location, and the interior was enclosed with wire. Nature has taken back over the site and we left the location in how we found it and we expect people do the same.
Thank you from all the team at Fort Finder
We will see you on the next location
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Military Pillbox
(Malta’s Biggest)
🇬🇧 British Empire
Type: Pillbox
Condition: Intact
Open to the Public: Partial Intact
Built: 1939
In Use: 1939-1945
Wars: World War 2
Materials: Concrete & Rebar
Location: San Martin, Malta
Right in the thick undergrowth nestled among tree line lay some of history’s strongest structures, so strong they were prepared for all kinds of military firepower. Malta has a long history of military campaigns over the years. Fort Finder team came upon one of the biggest military pillbox’s fortifications right in the thick undergrowth of Malta’s hillside in San Martin. We have explored many of these magnificent pillbox’s here on this tiny island on the Mediterranean sea.
Some would say, oh just another boring and ugly for the beautiful scenic views arounds, this may be the case but when these structures were first constructed not much of what we know was built up as Malta is today. And Malta was vulnerable to enemy attack. Malta was strategically an important to anyone who claimed it to Africa and the oil supply lines. Over 300 of these pillbox alone were built in Malta. And by far this is our biggest one we have stumbled upon. Its sheer size reaches much higher than other pillbox’s we have come across.
This particular one which is in good condition, scales over two and a partial third used as a lookout post. Each level can easily sleep six-eight servicemen and ample stores to last for week if cut off. A ladder separates them and a escape hatch to the top and to the rear close to the earth hillside. Tree line camouflaged its true size, small cut outs scattered throughout, a sniper hole so soldiers could lay down and use to fire if required, a few head height protected by blast shades, a thick two casing hatch at rear only partial remains and escape hatch at top now gone. We can only imagine what they had seen when Malta was at war in World War 2.
It is accessible yes, but off the beaten track up into the hillside of San Martin. There is a medium sized pillbox adjacent to this one that we will sure to explore at a later date. Please always be careful when exploring these locations. Respect land owners and explore safe. We will never give exact locations, nor provide how to enter them. We thrive to shine a light of the locations forgotten by history but bring them to revive their importance and without these structures Malta would surely be a different place ruled by the enemy. So please Respect them and be safe.
We will be back for more content soon
Thank you for all of your support everyone.
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Fort Finder Team

White Rocks Complex
🇬🇧 British Empire
🇲🇹 Maltese People
Type: British Military Housing
Condition: Decay
Open to the Public: Yes
Built: Early 1960’s
In Use: 1960’s – Early 1990’s
Materials: Concrete, Stone, Rebar & Limestone
Location: Pembroke, Malta
White Rocks Complex (1960s-1979)
Formally known to be St. Patrick’s Officers Married Quarters. Many of these were in high standards at the time. Which consisted of a mix of 4-bedroom houses and 3-bedroom flats. Many had added car garages and telephone linking to the grid. With close proximity to the main road linking Pembroke to St Paul’s Bay this was the direct means of transport at the time to various other popular places close by to the complex.
Pembroke Army Garrison was close by, so was ideal place for officers and their families to be housed. The complex comprised of various activities that would have a store for groceries, a pool area, crazy golf and various stores for the families that lived there. A local bus route was also added to the complex. As the true size of this complex could house upwards of hundreds of families and their children to the Officers enlisted with the Pembroke Garrison and various other military bases and also to officers who served in Malta throughout the course of their active duty there in Malta.
White Rocks Complex (1979-1995)
Soon after the British left in the year of 1979. The land was handed over to the Maltese Government, the land was best used to bring in tourism and there the complex was transferred into a holiday park to bring it people from all around the world. It was converted into a holiday hotel park. The housing was reformed into hotel like accommodations. A pool area and events building were added. Fun activities were added throughout to entertain the guests, bus routes added. It also housed students from international countries to come and study English at nearby colleges up until 1995.
Present Day
Some plans to revive the complex in the Mid 1990’s was set out but with little to no funding as the complex sheer size would need a great amount of funding. The complex plans fell through and the buildings were in such bad state of decay. The roads leading to it were blocked up to protect people’s safety to access. Plans have come and gone throughout the years with little to no sign of anything happening to rebuild or demolish the site. It lay abandoned and let nature retake it back. The site today is accessible but not advisable to enter. This is one of the biggest places we have explored and will respect it and hope you do to. Thank you.

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Fort Finder Team