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

The Kidnap PlanThe kidnap was planned for April 26 and carried out successfully. The General and his abductorstravelled across Crete for seventeen (17) days where he was finally taken from Crete by launch fromRodakino about nine miles from Sphakia the beach used for the final evacuation of the allies fromCrete. In the group travelled 75 miles across the mountains of Crete in seven days to the beach fromwhich the General was to be removed from Crete.42 nd StreetIn 1940 as part of the defence of Crete a small group of Royal Engineers (42 nd Field Company) arrivedat Sunda Bay and set up camp in a dirt lane not far from Sunda Bay. They christened the area wherethey were camped ‘42 nd Street’ after the Ruby Keeler and Ginger Rogers Film 42 nd Street which hadbeen made in 1933.Map showing42 nd Street locationBritish Military Maps recorded the Sappers sense of humour and showed 42 nd Street on all future mapsissued to arriving troops in the future which included some 10,00 Greeks, 6,500 Diggers and 7,700Kiwis and 17,000 British who were to form ‘Creforce’ to defend Crete from invasion.- 36 -