Photos From Passports

[Rove]

I thought I'll mention this to you. Maybe some of you know about it and have already used the facility. My father died 1953 in Malta and when my mother was coming over to Australia April 1958 the migrant ship SS Skaubryn caught fire in the Indian Ocean and sank. All 1310 on board were saved. One thing every one on that ship lost all their belongings and we lost all our family photos. They're down the bottom of the Ocean. So we ended up with just a few odd photos, mainly of c1950.

A friend told me that you can apply for copies of passport photos, that is if your relative had a passport. So I wrote to the Malta Archives, told them that my father did have a passport c1919 and asked if they still have his photo in their records. They promptly replied saying that my father had 2 passports and the pics are in excellent condition.

To send me the 2 copies on a CD posted to Australia was going to cost me $16 Aust dollars or approx 7 UK pounds. I was delighted and gave them the go ahead. about 5 weeks later I received the CD which was very well packed in a small parcel. I was extremely happy with the result.

Has anyone of you thought of doing the same ? is this service available in other countries ?

Not the way they take passport photos today.

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

I didn't know about this, but there again, I do have all my family photos and I'm very sorry that you lost all yours. :(

The two photos are wonderful as you say, very clear ...... and very unusual too for Passport photos! At least you have these, so I can understand you being thrilled! :D

[RichardMarcJ]

This is very interesting. Does this only apply to people who had Maltese passports?

[Rove]

Hi Richard

Just want to point out that the passport was a British Passport as Malta was a British Colony same as Australia and many other countries were at the period.

I would like to add this piece, during 1992 I was in Malta and went to the Passports Office in Valleta. I told them that my father had a Passport issued in 1919 and asked for a copy of the photo. They looked in the register and found the entry. They gave me the Passport number and date of issue and they said that the old passports were ruined by dampness and disposed off.

That was untrue. I remember that when I was talking to this officer it was time for his lunch break and he wanted to get away.

It always pays to have a second try.

Bill in Melbourne.