A group of children play in a street in Malta, under the hanging lines of washing, the damage and rubble attesting to weeks of attacks on the Island. During World War II, Malta played an important role owing to its proximity to Axis shipping lanes. The bravery of the Maltese people during the second Siege of Malta moved HM King George VI to award the George Cross to Malta on a collective basis on April 15, 1942 "to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history