Award of the George Cross to Malta Award of the George Cross to Malta The George Cross was awarded to the island of Malta by King George VI in a letter to the island's Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie, so as to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" during the great siege they underwent in the early part of World War II. Italy and Germany besieged Malta, then a British colony, from 1940 to 1942. The George Cross was incorporated into the Flag of Malta beginning in 1943 and remains on the current design of the flag. While Italian and German bombers brought
Cross-country jump Cross-country jump A cross-country jump refers to a style of skydive where the participants open their parachutes immediately after jumping, with the intention of covering as much ground under canopy as possible. A cross-country jump is typically planned when the upper winds are strong, allowing the parachutists to cover larger distances. There are two variations of a cross-country jump: The most popular one is to plan the exit point upwind of the drop zone. A map and information about the wind direction and velocity at different altitudes are used to determine the exit point. This is usually set at a