Crete War

Where have all the service personnel gone?

Where have all the service persons gone, a long time ago to the tune of ‘Where have all the Flowers Gone” would be appropriate for the European Theatre Wars and the Pacific Theatre War ? The record-keeping was almost nil due to the ferocity, speed, and superior weaponry of the Germans and Japanese. The record keepers for the Allies had no time to write what each soldier was doing in the days and hours of these conflicts. This has left huge holes in the brave efforts of individuals and groups. Th people involved wanted nothing more than to forget the ignominy of surrender, the deprivations of being a POW, and the long boring years inside the wire or slaving for the Germans on work parties.

This section of the website will offer the experiences of the service person who gave their all, brought home silence, and left little trace of what had happened in Crete April, 1941 to December, 1941. The information will be based on the few diaries that were secretly kept often scribbled on scraps of paper and from the clever ones whose memory enabled them to piece together their experiences once they arrived home.

The life that these people suffered will fit with their profiles and offer you the reasons why many returned so quiet and couldn’t settle into the lifestyle that they had mapped out before the War interrupted their peace and future. It must be acknowledged that service person in other theatres of war were similarly affected and to them and our service person on Greece and Crete, we salute you for your bravery and commitment to the cause of peace. It was always sad that those who served were never given the recognition they deserved. This website will offer homage to those who were caught up in two invasions and through their profiles, you will get to know them through their suffering, deprivation and constantly in fear of their lives.

[Photograph shows 3 German stukas banking, reading for the kill. Their screaming dives brought fear to many and their bombs were deadly. Used with devastating effect in Crete and Greece]

The Diaries and Memories

It is a privilege to find and read the diaries about the European Theatre Wars and the Pacific Theatre War or to sit down with the men and women who recalled the experiences they or their loved ones were forced to endure. The diaries are few but valuable. The service persons are fewer, as the ones still living are in their nineties and hundreds.

The research team is located in Perth, Western Australia, and so far we have received invitations from many people who have been willing to share with us. The Petersen family in Western Australia has a very detailed diary that was kept by Private Vic Petersen WX570 from Perth, Western Australia covers all the days from June 6th, 1941 to mid-1945. This has been a treasure in verifying what others were writing or talking about. Other diaries that gave first-hand accounts include: Private William (Bill) Taylor WX 2282 another West Australian; Ian Alexander (Jock) Hardie from West Australia; Howard Holmes a New Zealander. (to be added to as we find more)

Autograph books were a hit with a lot of the prisoners as it gave the feeling of comradeship and friends, such the same as the feelings today’s population use the internet. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter all give that feeling of belonging and having hundreds of friends. The ones we have seen so far include Albert Rickman and Reg Bradbury (to be added to as we find more)

There are some excellent books that have been well researched that assist in offering information that is often excluded from the relations, friends, and neighbours of the service persons who became Prisoners of War. These books include The History of the 2/11th (City of Perth) Australian Infantry Battalion 1939 – 45 by K. T. Johnson; Battalion into Battle The History of the 2/11th Australian Infantry Battalion 1939 – 1945; Private Bill by Barrie Cassidy; The Fall of Crete by Alan Clark; Diggers and Greeks by Maria Hill; Forgotten Anzacs by Peter Ewer; The Januk Kid by Sydney Litherland; Heaven and Hell by Martin Poppel; Soldier, Prisoner, Hunter, Gatherer by Don Woods; Escape from Crete by Charles Jager; P.O.W. Australian Prisoners of War in Hitler’s Reich by Peter Monteath; The Gatekeepers of Galatas the untold story by Brian Taaffe; Crtete the Battle and the Resistance by Antony Beevor; We Band of Brothers by Peter Brune. On top of these references, there have been late nights and long days fleshing out information from Google Search and interviewing people who were there or who were close to someone who was. Of the latter was a telephone call from Arthur Leggett, the oldest survivor of Operation Mercury (Hitler’s title for the airborne attack on Crete). Finally, there have been places to find accurate information online making researching so much easier. The NAA National Australian Archives was used to follow each soldier’s army career (it is sad to find so many people are not aware of this site and many of the veterans’ records remain closed due to lack of knowledge and a few dollars – see researching); National Archives of Kew, England; Ballarat Museum; University of Melbourne Archives for Red Cross Records; Online Cenotaph, Auckland, New Zealand; and the Facebook sites that are related to the Crete War and Stalag VIIIB..

The Second World War

The Second World War had its making soon after the end of the Great war 1914 – 1918. The defeat of Germany and the subsequent punishments inflicted by the victorious Allies gave rise to an impoverished country and that skyrocketting inflation left the population in dire straits. The rise to power by Adolph Hitler was in the making almost right from the end of hostilities in 1918. Add the collapse of the World economy in the Great Depression 1929 – 1934 and the German people were looking for a strong leader to rebuild the country and give it back its pride. Hitler grasped the opportunities as they aros and built the economy and the military might. Once he and his followers felt they could expand their territory they moved.

In September 1939 the well-trained storm troopers swept through the lowlands of Holland and Belgium and annexed Austria. Many of the other European countries were shocked but not enough to retaliate. The efforts at diplomacy stalled and Hitler moved into Poland and Czechoslavakia. The British Prime Minister declared war and this was followed by all British empire countries following their monarch King George V and began raising armies. In the meanwhile, Hitler was joined by Italy in what became the Axis.

The German preparation had been faultless and the training of personnel placed the German army, navy, and airforce well ahead of all other countries. So as 1940 dawned Germany was moving relentlessly into country after country. North Africa and the Middle East was soon overrun. Oil was the main target and this was needed to keep the German armed forces mobilised.

North Africa

Australia had called for volunteers to join up. Thousands of young Australians signed their enlistment papers and went off to training camps. A short but intense course saw the formation of battalions being shipped off to the Middle-east. In Western Australia, the 2/11th Battalion landed in Palestine in the Fall of 1939. They were mobilised and sent into North Africa where the Italians had overrun the countries of Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, and Tunisia. Their main objectives were to capture the Suez Canal and to take over the oil fields of the Middle-east.

The troops of Division 6 of the Australian 2/11th spent some time acclimatising to the desert environment before moving into Libya to engage the Italian army. Over the days 3 – 5 January the 6th Division along with other Allied troops engaged the Italians at Bardia. Over 40 000 Italians were captured.

The 6th Division pushed on to Tobruk and between January 21 and 22 1941, they took the town. They set it up to be a garrison and awaited the German Afrika Corps under General Erwin Rommel to counter attack. By April the strategic town of Tobruk was surrounded and cut off, From April to December, the Australians and Allied troops at Tobruk were besieged.

The defenders of Torbruk became known as the ‘Rats of Trobuk’ as they held out against Rommel for over 9 months. They virtually lived in the tunnels they built under the town and lived on meagre rations.

Greece

All of the Australian troops with the exception of the Rats were recalled to Alexandria in Egypt. This was the major Headquarters for the Allies in the Mediterranean Sea area. The new orders were to move to Greece and help stop the Germans from advancing down the Greek peninsula. They had already been attacking Yugoslavia and were pushing the Greek troops south. A new front was opened when the Germans sent their war machine through the northern passes of Greece.

The Australians were hastily organised and sent north to Athens where they disembarked and set off to form a defensive line around Mount Olympus. Such was the firepower of the advancing Germans particularly with Stukas and bombers to hit the 60 km long Australian convoy, that the Australians were forced to fall back to Bralos. Here they were to lose hundreds of men whilst holding their position for Eventually they again withdrew and set out for Athens to catch ships that would ferry them to the island of Crete. The service personnel consisting of nurses and military men were ordered to destroy all equipment and foodstuff. In particular, was the necessity to ruin any fuel. The armada of ships that managed to get to Crete was less than the number that began the journey. For over five nights the ships worked back and forth carrying over 50 000 Allies to Crete. By the 11th April 1941, the evacuation was complete and the troops found themselves on an idyllic Mediterranean isle.

Crete

They set up defences expecting a seaward invasion by the Germans. For just over a month the troops enjoyed the sun and the beaches and kept fit mainly by marching and digging trenches. On May 20th, 1941 Operation Mercury began when gliders carrying paratroopers followed German bombers over Crete. The softening up of the island by the bombers was to allow the parachutists to reach the ground safely.

The main objects hunted by the German in command, General Kurt Student, were the three aerodromes at Maleme, Rethimno, and Iraklio. Once his paratroops had captured these then the Germans could fly in more troops, supplies, and heavy armoury.

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