Crete Holiday 2013

[Kevin Grootaers]

Great read Ben.

[Ben Evans]

PS. the button surely is a gift from your ancestor!

It would be nice to think so Michael

[sandgroper]

Ben, this is a fantastic read mate! And the photos are magnificent! I'd love to visit Crete at some stage, I have family that served with the 2/4th Australian Infantry Battalion at Heraklion and I would love to see where they were based. The New Zealand button is a really nice find too mate, it is quite fitting for you of all people to have found it considering your uncles service on Crete. Mate, I haven't hit the "like" button on your pics as I'd have to hit it on every post you made here, just know that I like them all! Great stuff, Ben, thanks for taking the time to share your holiday with the rest of us.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Super thread, thanks Ben!

I know we have nailed that the SS dagger is a repro. However, not every SS man served in the Waffen SS. Many pre war SS members joined other branches of the armed forces. It helped with "political stiffening".

Cheers, Ade.

[Ben Evans]

Thanks guys, I can recommend Crete to anyone, fantastic place, me and the brother in law are thinking of going next May purley to do more walking and get around the battlefield area in depth, of course we have Sean as a guide as his knowledge is fantastic I also intend to get to the other two sites at Rethimnon and Heraklion. @ Sandgroper my cousin was in the 19th New Zealand Bat, they were dug in East of Maleme at a village callled Galats. This link here listens to a veteran Sandy Thomas who talks about the battle, very interesting

Sandy Thomas speaking at the New Zealand memorial service Galatas Crete 2011 - YouTube

[sandgroper]

Thanks guys, I can recommend Crete to anyone, fantastic place, me and the brother in law are thinking of going next May purley to do more walking and get around the battlefield area in depth, of course we have Sean as a guide as his knowledge is fantastic I also intend to get to the other two sites at Rethimnon and Heraklion. @ Sandgroper my cousin was in the 19th New Zealand Bat, they were dug in East of Maleme at a village callled Galats. This link here listens to a veteran Sandy
Thomas who tal;ks about the battle, very interesting


Sandy Thomas speaking at the New Zealand
memorial service Galatas Crete 2011 - YouTube

Ben, that was well worth listening to, what a terrific old fella he is. Thanks for the link.

[Ben Evans]

Just a couple of missed photos

[Ben Evans]

Last few

[LizardKing]

He did a very nice work redecorating the place... In the past he has asked me to help him decorate the place in a proper way but i wasn't able to help! The whole place was a mess... Now it is very well displayed in compare!

[herrzark]

Have we new photos from the place?