The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia
The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia
New Zealand Provost (Military Police)Let us not forget our Kiwi Military Police brothers who worked closely with the Australian MilitaryPolice.Sergeant Clive Hume VCSgt. Hulme a member of the New Zealand Provost corps attached to the 23 rd NZ Battalion FieldPunishment Centre in Crete was to be awarded one of the three (3) Victoria Crosses awarded during theBattle for Crete.During the attack Sgt Hulme was placed in charge of the allied prisoners who had been issued withrifles to defend the island. During the next eight (8) days Sgt. Hulme became alegend- he freed anumber of New Zealanders who had been capture by the Germans – took part in the charge at Galatasand he is credited with killing 33 Germans during this time.NursesAustralian Army Nurses served in all the campaigns in which Australians were involved during WorldWar II, Greece and Crete were no exceptions.Nurses were generally attached to Australian Casualty Clearing Stations (ACCS) which are usuallypositioned close to the front lines one such CCS was established at Larissa this enables injuries to betreated quickly and an assessment make for transfer back to an Australian General Hospital (AGH),where nurses and doctors are able to provide more intense or specialised medical services. TheAustralian General Hospital in Greece was 15 miles outside Athens at Kephissa.As the situation was deteriorating in Greece action was taken on the 19 th April to evacuate all thenurses of the 2/6 th AGH in conformity with Australian Governments direction that Australian Nurseswere not to be left in Greece. They were placed on 24hours notice to leave. Unfortunately the shipthey were to board did not arrive when another ship arrive it was unable to take all of the nurses.Australian Nursesawaiting evacuationfrom Greece 1941(AWM 087663)Col. (Matron)Kathleen BestOBE RRC- 32 -
On the 20 th the Hospital ship Oba arrived and again all the nurses could not be taken aboard due to aGerman air raid, only twenty four nurses and Matron J.S. Abbot were able to leave. It required anumber of attempts to evacuate all the nurses. On the 23 rd forty three nurses and nine masseuses wereevacuated the next group to be evacuated included 42 British and 40 Australian Nurses withColonel (Matron) Kathleen Best OBE RRC of 2/5 AGH was to be awarded the Royal Red Cross Medalfor her work.The Royal Red Cross MedalThe last group to be evacuated required a trip to the evacuation point at Nafplion which was not easyand on reaching Argos they were subject to an air attack and had to take refuge in a cemetery for nearlythe whole day. Typical Australians, they boiled the billy on a tombstone and had themselves a cup oftea. The Australian Nurses were accompanied by their sisters from New Zealand and 400 walkingwounded.On reaching Nafplion they boarded HMAS Voyager which took them to Crete, where they continued tolook after the casualties before being evacuated to Alexandria in Egypt before the fall of Crete.Unfortunately for the nurses those doctors and other members of the Medical Corps they had workedwith at the 2/5 AGH were captured by the Germans on the 27 th April 1941 and spent the rest of the waras POWs During their captivity they made a Australian Red Ensign Flag and it was signed by 55 ofthose who became POWs, the flag is now on display at the Australian War Memorial.The Australian Red EnsignWeary DunlopIt is little know that Major Edward (Weary) Dunlop was highly involved in the organisation of theMedical Services for the troops in Greece and Crete even though he did not go ‘in the bag’ with theGermans he was not so lucky in Singapore.Weary Dunlop arrived in Greece at 4.30pm on the 27 th April 1941 with the 2/3 CCS (Casualty ClearingStation) and also served with the 2/5 AGH & the 2/6 AGH (Australian General Hospital). He wasevacuated to Crete and served with the British 189 Field Ambulance and was evacuated from Cretebefore it fell to the Germans.It is reported that he carried a .45 Pistol and on occasions threatened to use.Recollections of a Greek Nurse (Zoe Tscukala Kakatoika)In 1940 I was asked to serve in an English Hospital in Athens because I could speak some English. Iwas asked to look after English and German soldiers.Unfortunately the English sisters some 231 left soon after I arrived so as not to be captured by theGermans. They sailed on the Ionia on the 29 April 1941as part of Convey G.A. 15 for Crete.The building which was being used as the hospital had been a luxury Hotel in the town of Kifissiabefore the war. Even though I was only 25year old at the time the soldiers would call me “MamaMana” - Nurses have mothers’ instincts.- 33 -
- 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 and 16: The GreeksGeneral Alexander Papagos
- Page 17 and 18: The RAAF in GreeceVery little infor
- 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: April 25 1941: Fine. Remained hidde
- 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
On the 20 th the Hospital ship Oba arrived and again all the nurses could not be taken aboard due to aGerman air raid, only twenty four nurses and Matron J.S. Abbot were able to leave. It required anumber <strong>of</strong> attempts to evacuate all the nurses. On the 23 rd <strong>for</strong>ty three nurses and nine masseuses wereevacuated the next group to be evacuated included 42 British and 40 <strong>Australia</strong>n Nurses withColonel (Matron) Kathleen Best OBE RRC <strong>of</strong> 2/5 AGH was to be awarded the Royal Red Cross Medal<strong>for</strong> her work.<strong>The</strong> Royal Red Cross Medal<strong>The</strong> last group to be evacuated required a trip to the evacuation point at Nafplion which was not easyand on reaching Argos they were subject to an air attack and had to take refuge in a cemetery <strong>for</strong> nearlythe whole day. Typical <strong>Australia</strong>ns, they boiled the billy on a tombstone and had themselves a cup <strong>of</strong>tea. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>n Nurses were accompanied by their sisters from New Zealand and 400 walkingwounded.On reaching Nafplion they boarded HMAS Voyager which took them to <strong>Crete</strong>, where they continued tolook after the casualties be<strong>for</strong>e being evacuated to Alexandria in Egypt be<strong>for</strong>e the fall <strong>of</strong> <strong>Crete</strong>.Un<strong>for</strong>tunately <strong>for</strong> the nurses those doctors and other members <strong>of</strong> the Medical Corps they had workedwith at the 2/5 AGH were captured by the Germans on the 27 th April 1941 and spent the rest <strong>of</strong> the waras POWs During their captivity they made a <strong>Australia</strong>n Red Ensign Flag and it was signed by 55 <strong>of</strong>those who became POWs, the flag is now on display at the <strong>Australia</strong>n War Memorial.<strong>The</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>n Red EnsignWeary DunlopIt is little know that Major Edward (Weary) Dunlop was highly involved in the organisation <strong>of</strong> theMedical Services <strong>for</strong> the troops in <strong>Greece</strong> and <strong>Crete</strong> even though he did not go ‘in the bag’ with theGermans he was not so lucky in Singapore.Weary Dunlop arrived in <strong>Greece</strong> at 4.30pm on the 27 th April 1941 with the 2/3 CCS (Casualty ClearingStation) and also served with the 2/5 AGH & the 2/6 AGH (<strong>Australia</strong>n General Hospital). He wasevacuated to <strong>Crete</strong> and served with the British 189 Field Ambulance and was evacuated from <strong>Crete</strong>be<strong>for</strong>e it fell to the Germans.It is reported that he carried a .45 Pistol and on occasions threatened to use.Recollections <strong>of</strong> a Greek Nurse (Zoe Tscukala Kakatoika)In 1940 I was asked to serve in an English Hospital in Athens because I could speak some English. Iwas asked to look after English and German soldiers.Un<strong>for</strong>tunately the English sisters some 231 left soon after I arrived so as not to be captured by theGermans. <strong>The</strong>y sailed on the Ionia on the 29 April 1941as part <strong>of</strong> Convey G.A. 15 <strong>for</strong> <strong>Crete</strong>.<strong>The</strong> building which was being used as the hospital had been a luxury Hotel in the town <strong>of</strong> Kifissiabe<strong>for</strong>e the war. Even though I was only 25year old at the time the soldiers would call me “MamaMana” - Nurses have mothers’ instincts.- 33 -
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