AFM's former Swift Class Patrol Boat P24 was this morning officially handed over to the Maritime Museum of San Diego during a ceremony at Hay Wharf base.
Operations director Mark J. Gallant extended the appreciation of the
chairman of the San Diego Maritime Museum and said that such an
initiative between Malta and the U.S. would continue to strengthen a long
history of friendship. He said the museum would have a display that paid tribute to the
fallen Maltese servicemen who died on board the P23 (the sister vessel
of P24) during a tragic accident on Sep. 7th, 1984.
During this morning’s ceremony, the P24 was towed away as an AFM soldier
played the bagpipes and a fog horn salute was sounded from the P61. The
Austal Class P24 was aptly chosen to tow its predecessor to the Malta
Freeport for eventual shipping to San Diego. (Source: timesofmalta.com)
