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

The current Barracks of the Military Police at Holsworthy, New South Wales is named Lamia Barracksin recognition of their involvement at the Battle for Lamia in 1941.Recollections of Frank McManus 1 st Australian Corps Signals (age 92)“ Kalambaka (Meteora) – The Germans came across from Servia. We moved to Larissa onthe 20 th April to be told by the Military Police to keep going or the Germans would get us.The Australian Signals were digging in on one side of the road and the New Zealanders onthe other.Heading the advice given by the MPs we moved down to the Corinth Canal where the Germanseventually blew the bridge across the Canal. The German Paratroopers landed prior to ourevacuation to Crete on the British Anti Aircraft Ship HMS Hermes. Only for the advice fromthe Military Police we might have ended up prisoners of war.The Australian Provost (Military Police) and their relationship with the DiggerThe Aussie ‘Digger’ of the 6 th & 7 th Divisions developed a high regard and respect for the MPs of the6 th & 7 th Divisions and it is surprising to many soldiers that they regarded them as part of the ‘family’they saw a clear distinction between “Provost and Military Police”. A Div Provost was seen as part ofthe Division as they took part in all Division activities and exercises. However the troops were awarethat they were “Cops” and treated them with respect which was reciprocated by the MPs.The term MP to the Digger, meant the Command Provost and to a lesser extend the Lines ofCommunication (LOC) who were responsible for looking after the “leave towns” and who were the“Bastards” who made a soldiers life miserable.This feeling of respect for the MPs by the Aussie digger can be summed up in the words of HenryGullet MC [(the son of Sir H.S Gullet – Military Historian) Major H. Gullet MC was also one of theAustralians to be involved in the Normandy Landing] when he said of the work of Provost in Greece“as a decent bunch of chaps doing a damn difficult job under most trying circumstances…. A numberof fellows owe their lives to our Div Pro Companies …..they stayed back at each of the defiles to ensureall got through, and at the beaches they were the last to embark”.The MPs in Greece shared the same difficulties as the fighting troops and during the withdrawal theycontinued to carry out their designated role and may others not expected of MPs. A member of the2/5 th Battalion said about the work of the MPs- “we wouldn’t have known where to go if it was not forthe Provost fellas standing there with ‘hurricane lamps’ and telling us where to go”. In support ofthe comments made by Frank McManus of Aust Corps Signals when he encountered the MPs atLarissa, it is also reported that the MPs of 7 th Div Pro ‘were still coolly directing the stragglers vehicleseven though the Germans could arrive at any time’.These actions by the MPs endeared them to the other troops as they were exposing themselves to thesame dangers as themselves and in fact were prepared to place themselves between the enemy and thewithdrawing diggers to ensure they avoided capture.Rearguard actionOn the 18 th April the men of the 2/1 st Field Ambulance were bringing back wounded from Larissa andhad this to say about the MPs. - ‘we got through the roads with the wounded, due to the fine work beingdone at great personal risk by the Provost, without their tireless efficiency many men and vehiclescould not have reached safety’.- 28 -