The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia

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By late 1943 its strength exceeded 420 men and it took part in the attacks on the Dodecanese Islands.By 1944 its strength had grown to 1016 men and the S.M.E.R Company joined a British Brigade underthe command of Major Turnbull and they took part in the liberation of the Aegean and DodecaneseIslands.The Hellenic NavyThe Royal Hellenic Navy saw action in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.Air ForceThe Royal Hellenic Air force was formed in Egypt and trained in South Africa and they took part in inactions in support of the Allies in Italy.Greece April 1941Map of Southern Greece showing the airports with the typesand numbers of the military planes based there in total 1180.1100 of which took part in the Battle of Crete.- 12 -
The RAAF in GreeceVery little information will be found in regard to the Royal Australian Air Forces involvement in theGreek/Crete Campaign for the simple reason that any Australian Air Force Personnel were attached toRAF Squadrons. This apparently was the situation in Europe and the Middle East Campaigns.The following is a brief outline of the involvement of three of the seven Australian Pilots who sawservice in the Greek Crete Campaign whilst serving with RAF Squadrons.In the beginningWhen Italy invaded Greece on the 28 th October 1940 the Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas soughthelp from the British. Unfortunately, the British response was not what was expected due to theircommitment in North Africa. They were only able to provide a small number of obsolete Fighter andBombers Squadrons. Notwithstanding this lack of support the RAF and the Greek Army defeatedthe invading Italians.Unfortunately, the Australian Pilots involved were fighting with the equivalent of one hand tied behindtheir back, as they were using antiquated Gladiator bi-planes against the more modern Fiat CR-42s ofthe Italians and later the ME-s and Junkers of the Germans.A Gladiator flownBy Hickey in GreeceIn the early stages of the campaign Australian Sqn Ldr. W.J. Hickey the Commanding Officer (CO) ofNo.80 Squadron (Fighters) in one action with six Gladiators took on twenty Fiats and managed to shootdown seven enemy planes with no losses to his Squadron. Hickey was shot down during anengagement on the 21 st December 1940 when ten of his aircraft engaged six enemy bombers protectedby fifty four Fiat fighters.Another Australian Pilot of note during this campaign was Flt. Lt. Richard Cullen who was also part ofHickey’s No.80 Squadron. No112 Squadron also included an Australian Flt. Lt. Charles Fry. InFebruary of 1941, No. 80 Squadron was provided with Hurricane Fighters. Unfortunately Cullen waslost in action on the 27 th February 1941.Fry continued to serve on in Crete and was shot down and captured, he finished the war as a POW inOflag 21B in Posen, Poland.Charles Fry and an otherBritish Airman in Oflag 21BPOW Camp.- 13 -
Page 1 and 2: THE BATTLEFORGREECE AND CRETEMatt W
Page 3 and 4: The German Invasion Force- Strength
Page 5 and 6: PrefaceIf one wishes to examine par
Page 7 and 8: Dissentions about the campaignMany
Page 9 and 10: This bond which developed between t
Page 11 and 12: Recollections of a Greek Youth a Pa
Page 13 and 14: AthensApril20 th Nurses____________
Page 15: The GreeksGeneral Alexander Papagos
Page 19 and 20: Crete was considered to be of strat
Page 21 and 22: Troops were to be dispersed to the
Page 23 and 24: The evacuation Beachat Sfakia (Stak
Page 25 and 26: At 6.45 am on the 20 th May 1941 th
Page 27 and 28: The PlayersAustraliaBrigadier Georg
Page 29 and 30: On one occasion on the submarine HM
Page 31 and 32: The march throughout was an exceedi
Page 33 and 34: Extract from the War Diary of 7 th
Page 35 and 36: April 25 1941: Fine. Remained hidde
Page 37 and 38: On the 20 th the Hospital ship Oba
Page 39 and 40: The route taken by Paul Cullen duri
Page 41 and 42: 42 nd Street gained importance in t
Page 43 and 44: Australian Units who served in Gree
Page 45 and 46: List of some of the ships involved
Page 47 and 48: CruiserHelle (sunk)SubmarinePapantk
Page 49 and 50: Service details of some of the Mili
Page 51 and 52: The grave of L/Cpl BarnesPlaques in
Page 53 and 54: 7 th Division Provost CompanyPerson
Page 55 and 56: BibliographyAustralian Corps of Sig

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