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The presence of troops in Għajn Tuffieħa and Għadira camps spelt trouble for the inhabitants of the nearby hamlets. These soldiers found themselves stationed in an isolated area, secluded from the rest of Malta. Entertainment, besides sports like football and cricket organised by the camps’ authorities, could be found in Valletta, but as Mellieħa was not connected to the railway system and the roads were in a bad state, the journey to and fro was a nightmare.
Bored out of their wits, the soldiers looked forward to military manoeuvres. However, while training, they entered fields, demolished rubble walls, trampled the soil and stole crops, thus bringing on the wrath of the farmers whose livelihood they threatened. On many occasions, these manoeuvres were accompanied by an officer whose job was to listen to the farmers’ complaints and issue compensation.