San Lawrenz War Memorial Plaque (1939-1945)

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Location Map Coordinates 36.055344, 14.203589

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San Lawrenz Parish Church with the Second World War memorial plaque on the exterior wall

The Second World War memorial plaque on the exterior of San Lawrenz Parish Church, Gozo.

A Second World War memorial plaque on the exterior wall of the parish church at San Lawrenz, Gozo, commemorates people from the village who died during the war. The plaque was installed by the San Lawrenz Local Council together with the people of San Lawrenz and is dated 5 May 1995.

The Memorial Plaque

Unlike the separate San Lawrenz war memorial commemorating the four women killed in the wartime attack of 5 August 1942, this memorial is a plaque fixed directly to the parish church. It lists five people from San Lawrenz who died during the war.

The Maltese inscription states that the San Lawrenz Local Council, together with the people of San Lawrenz, remembers those persons from San Lawrenz who died in the war. At the bottom of the plaque is the dedication marking the fiftieth anniversary, dated 5 ta' Mejju 1995.

Close-up of the San Lawrenz Second World War memorial plaque listing five victims

Close-up of the memorial plaque and its list of names.

Names on the Memorial

The plaque records the following five people. The addresses shown on the plaque for the four Farrugia and Attard entries are all given as Triq ir-Rokon.

Surname First Name Address shown on plaque
AttardNazzarenaTriq ir-Rokon
FarrugiaCarmelaTriq ir-Rokon
FarrugiaGiuseppaTriq ir-Rokon
FarrugiaMariaTriq ir-Rokon
VellaGuzeppi
Historical note: Contemporary reporting identifies Nazzarena Attard, Carmela Farrugia, Maria Farrugia and Giuseppa Farrugia among the four San Lawrenz women killed during a German aircraft attack in August 1942. Nazzarena Attard was pregnant at the time. The church plaque also includes Guzeppi Vella; the plaque itself does not give further details about the circumstances of his death.

The 1942 Attack on San Lawrenz

San Lawrenz was relatively remote from the main areas of wartime activity in Malta and Gozo, but the village was not untouched by the conflict. On 5 August 1942, a German fighter aircraft attacked four women from San Lawrenz as they were making their way towards an air-raid shelter. Carmela Farrugia, her sister Maria Farrugia, their mother Giuseppa Farrugia, and Nazzarena Attard were killed in the attack. Nazzarena, who was pregnant, died later in hospital.

The incident has remained an important part of the wartime history of San Lawrenz. A separate memorial was later erected near the site of the attack, while this plaque on the parish church provides a wider record of people from the locality who died during the war.

Church Location

Another view of the San Lawrenz parish church showing the war memorial plaque

Another view showing the plaque in its position on the church exterior.

Related San Lawrenz War Memorial

This plaque should be distinguished from the separate San Lawrenz war memorial dedicated to the four women killed in the August 1942 attack.

View the other San Lawrenz War Memorial

Memorial Specifications & Documentation

Memorial NameSan Lawrenz War Memorial Plaque
LocalitySan Lawrenz, Gozo
Memorial TypeSecond World War commemorative plaque fixed to the exterior of the parish church
Commemorated ConflictSecond World War (1939-1945)
Dedication Date5 May 1995
Inscription LanguageMaltese
Number of Names5
Coordinates36.055344, 14.203589
LocationExterior wall of San Lawrenz Parish Church

Research & Documentation

This page forms part of eMalta's ongoing documentation of the historical and cultural heritage of Malta and Gozo. The memorial was photographed and documented on site. The names and wording on the memorial have been transcribed from the original plaque.

Historical context concerning the August 1942 attack has also been checked against contemporary published accounts and academic material concerning Gozo during the Second World War.

Researcher: Paul Berman
Last Updated: 2026

Research & Documentation

  • Researcher: Paul Berman
  • Last Updated: 2026

This page forms part of eMalta's ongoing documentation of the historical, cultural and religious heritage of Malta and Gozo.

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