CIRCA - ~1798 🇲🇹 - 2 equal vertical bands; white (hoist-side) & red (fly-side) with a white  George ✙ Cross, fimbriated in red,

with motto "FOR GALLANTRY" in the upper hoist corner of the white band

HISTORY:  As far back as a 1798 rebellion against France, the (plain) bicolor was the de facto flag of the British colony. The

colors are from the 12c Knights Hospitaller's heraldic white 8-pointed ✠ cross  on a red ⛊ shield (rulers of Malta ~16c-18c.)

(Though one tradition says the colors were granted by the Norman Count of Sicily in 1091. In thanks for their help liberating

the island from Arabs tore off part of his own checkered 𖣯 red & white banner, bestowing the resultant bicolor to the Maltese.)

In 1942 the Maltese were awarded a (King) George ✙ Cross & displayed it, on a blue🔍 field, on both

the civil (future state) & colonial flags.* The blue was later replaced with just red fimbriation in 1964.

[The civil version of the flag is still that white 8-pointed ✠ cross of the Knights Hospitaller on a red field]

VEXILLOLOGY:** Representing historical wartime fortitude, in medieval heraldry;

• The  WHITE Band  signifies purity & innocence

• The   RED Band  & fimbriation denote sacrifice, warrior valor & blood 🩸 shed in defense of the Christian faith

  
  

• The Imperial (King) GEORGE ✙ CROSS - awarded for wartime heroism (In Malta's case withstanding Axis blockades & air raids in WWII) is a:

  • Symmetrical Greek ✙ Cross emphasizes the universality of Christianity (distinct from the Latin cross associated specifically with Christ's Passion)...

  • ....with an image of SAINT GEORGE on a Rearing 𓃗  Horse trampling a Dragon - a chivalric martial archetype that embodies Christian fortitude against persecution. A Roman soldier martyred in 303 AD, in legend he is famed for his battle & triumph, through faith, over a dragon 🐉, symbolizing the Christian conquest of paganism / Satan & underscoring themes of divine protection & moral victory. ...

  • ...encircled by the motto "FOR GALLANTRY" underscoring the chivalric ideals of discipline & obligation, especially in times of strive

[All of which are in alignment with the earlier (& still Civil flag) emblem of the 8-Pointed ✠ CROSS, of the Hospitallers - traditionally representing the

8 Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew / corresponding Virtues obligatory for knights.]

  The design is essentially the flag of Monaco🔍 on it's side, and resembles the flag of Poland🔍, but the similarities were not intentional.

* 🇬🇧 Union Jack🔍 canton on a blue field with Maltese ⛨ badge in the fly [a 1/2 red(rt side) - 1/2 white+blue(lft) tricolor ⛉ shield on a white ⚪ disc, with George ✙ Cross. centered

on the upper left blue quadrant.]

* The STUDY of FLAGS; their history, symbolism, usage, and design. From Latin vexillum - referring to a Roman military standard / flag (from velum= cloth/ covering/sail/curtain

    [PIE🔍 root weg = to weave / to cover]) + Greek suffix -logia = study]