Crete remembers Australia

Did you know that Australian soldiers fought in the battle of Crete against German troups in the 2nd World War? Like so many battles in which Australian troops featured, we lost. However, the manner of our losing endeared us to the locals who remember our involvement with great affection. </p>
Today, was a slow start... with no intention of visiting sites important to Australian military history. The morning weather was unpleasant. This island seems to blow a constant gale. Desert sands from the Sahara were dumped on Crete through drizzling rain. Our car was covered with a film of mud. We climbed a steep learning curve coming to grips with the Greek road signs and a different (inferior) GPS navigation system. After getting lost in little seaside towns, we were ready to go home. Driving blind, we spotted a sign pointing to a town name we could find on our paper map. In frustration, we decided that if we were to be lost, we should be lost in a place that we know where we are (if that makes any sense). </p>
Once on that road, we realised we were heading in the direction recommended by our accommodation host. It was close to a dramatic gorge that lead on to an old monastery. Our day had started to improve. The gorge will not be the biggest or deepest we will traverse... but it gave a strong sense of foreboding... very dark and very narrow. It gave a spark to our day. We decided to drive the extra distance to visit the monastery. </p>
I don't know my Cretean history very well. As I understand it (please correct me if I have this mixed up) Australian troops came to Crete after their campaign in Tobruk and Egypt. They also served in other parts of Greece. Well, our boys took a shellacking in Crete and had to make an unseemly withdrawal. The Germans were right on their tails. Our boys had to take to the hills which bought them into an area close to the monastery. The head priest at the monastery was brave and smart. He was able to keep the Germans looking up the wrong valleys while providing food to our boys. Eventually, our boys were rescued by submarines (how exciting is that). There was a big celebration at the monastery to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the action (presumably around 1994).</p>
The monastery has a museum that records the war history and they refer to Australia's involvement with affection. An Australian soldier has donated funds used to construct a fountain in the grounds of the monastery commemorating those war times. It would be remiss not to mention that the monastery has played important roles many times in the history of Crete... anti-Turk movement... introduction social benefits to the needy in the area, etc. etc. </p>
After such a slow start, today has provided enough military history to make it a day to remember. Trish will have to confirm the facts, but I have a memory that our Uncle Lock fought in Crete (or was it Cyprus). He wasn't evacuated by submarine, so he was probably moved out earlier on. </p>