War Memorials > Royal Malta Artillery Dockyard Explosion Memorial
War Memorials > Gunner Gio Batta Dalli
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Gunner Gio Batta Dalli was a member of the Royal Malta Artillery who died in the Malta Dockyard explosion of 5 October 1915.
His Royal Malta Artillery service number was 1571. He was one of the sixteen Maltese members of the Royal Malta Artillery who lost their lives in the explosion while engaged in wartime work connected with the preparation of hand grenades.
Gunner Gio Batta Dalli
Gio Batta Dalli was serving with the Royal Malta Artillery during the First World War. On 5 October 1915 he was among the sixteen RMA personnel killed in the explosion at the Malta Dockyard.
The surviving military headstone identifies him as:
1571 GUNNER G. B. DALLI
ROYAL MALTA ARTILLERY
5TH OCTOBER 1915
Service and Burial Details
| Name | Gio Batta Dalli |
|---|---|
| Rank | Gunner |
| Service | Royal Malta Artillery |
| RMA Number | 1571 |
| Date of Death | 5 October 1915 |
| Cemetery | Capuccini Naval Cemetery, Kalkara |
| Plot | K |
| Grave | 91 |
The Malta Dockyard Explosion
On 5 October 1915, a quantity of hand grenades being prepared for wartime use exploded at the Malta Dockyard. The accident killed sixteen members of the Royal Malta Artillery and wounded others.
The explosion occurred during the First World War, when Malta was an important British military and naval base in the Mediterranean. The work being carried out at the Dockyard was connected with the wider Allied war effort and the campaign at Gallipoli.
Although the men died in an accident rather than in combat, they were serving during wartime and are recorded among the casualties of the 5 October 1915 disaster.
Read the full history of the Royal Malta Artillery Dockyard Explosion →
Grave at Capuccini Naval Cemetery
Gio Batta Dalli is buried at the Capuccini Naval Cemetery at Kalkara in Plot K, Grave 91.
His grave forms part of a sequence of Royal Malta Artillery burials associated with the 5 October 1915 Dockyard explosion. The graves in this section provide an important physical record of the men who died in the disaster.
Remembering Gio Batta Dalli
More than a century after the Dockyard explosion, Dalli's surviving military headstone continues to identify him by name, rank and regiment.
His grave is also significant because it forms part of the surviving sequence of graves associated with the sixteen Royal Malta Artillery personnel killed in the explosion.
The grave immediately before this sequence, Plot K, Grave 90, belongs to Carmelo Abela, an H.M. Dockyard employee who also died as a result of the explosion but was not a Royal Malta Artillery volunteer and is therefore not included among the sixteen RMA victims.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Gio Batta Dalli?
Gio Batta Dalli was a Gunner in the Royal Malta Artillery, service number 1571. He was killed in the Malta Dockyard explosion on 5 October 1915.
Where is Gio Batta Dalli buried?
He is buried at the Capuccini Naval Cemetery in Kalkara, in Plot K, Grave 91.
What was Gio Batta Dalli's Royal Malta Artillery number?
His Royal Malta Artillery service number was 1571.
When did Gio Batta Dalli die?
Gio Batta Dalli died on 5 October 1915 in the Malta Dockyard explosion.
Was Gio Batta Dalli one of the sixteen RMA victims?
Yes. Dalli is recorded as the first of the sixteen Royal Malta Artillery personnel associated with the 5 October 1915 explosion.
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Research & Documentation
- Researcher: Paul Berman
- Last Updated: 2026
This page forms part of eMalta's ongoing documentation of the historical, cultural and military heritage of Malta and Gozo.
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