This cache was placed with the thought of ANZAC Day in mind when we found an area of olive trees that we had not noticed before. We were thinking of all service people from all countries lost in war.
Olive groves bring back memories for us of our time in Crete staying with the Cretan Runners. The Cretan Runners are lovely people who have stayed in the Nelson/Tasman area more than once and found many local caches. They kindly hosted us and also look after a cache (Kia Kaha) we placed to recognise the Maori Battalion. We went with the Cretan Runners to a number of historic sites, many connected to WW2. One, GC5Z68W, was the the German War Cemetery overlooking Maleme and buried here are 4465 German soldiers of the air battle over Crete . Nearby, after a walk through an olive grove, was GC1VBWN, named ANZAC 107 as it was placed at Hill 107, a defensive position occupied by the New Zealanders.
The Battle for Crete began just after dawn on 20 May 1941. The air above was suddenly filled with parachutes as thousands of elite German paratroopers began to descend from the sky. The paratroopers captured the airstrip, which was located just outside the town of Maleme. Once captured, this airstrip allowed the Germans to airlift in the reinforcements needed to capture the rest of the island. Many of the paratroopers lost their lives in the attack and are buried in the German cemetery located on a hill above the airstrip.
For 12 days New Zealanders, British, Australian and Greek troops, assisted by Cretan civilians, tried to repel the huge airborne assault by the Germans. They almost succeeded. Despite suffering appalling casualties, the parachutists and glider-borne troops who led the invasion eventually gained the upper hand. The battle ended with the evacuation to Egypt of the bulk of the Allied force. The Maori battalion in particular fought fiercely throughout the campaign and earned the begrudging respect of their enemy. Because of the number of German lives lost, Hitler never again attempted an airborne invasion.
Many New Zealanders made it off Crete, but thousands were left behind: more than 2000 were taken prisoner; 671 died. Among those evacuated were Charles Upham and Alfred Hulme, both of whom won the Victoria Cross (VC) for their actions on Crete. A few New Zealanders took to the hills, sheltered by the Cretans who, to this day, remember fondly New Zealand’s role in the battle.