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Hi

I'll be on a two week holiday in Crete at the end of August (so take your time replying! [:)]). I have been there before - about 15 years ago - and visited a lot of the 'ancient' historical sites (Knossos etc).

So, does anyone know if there are any sites or places of interest to visit regarding Crete in WWII which might set the scene for, and raise the anticipation for, COTA.

I'm starting off here with very little knowledge of the events/battles in Crete during WWII, so almost anything would be worthwhile!

Most importantly Maleme, you can go up on Hill 107 and watch all over the "old" airfield. you can also visit the german cemetary and paratrooper monument there. Down at the beach you´ll find a few small MG bunkers. Then go to Chania (Hania) and visit the NATO harbor and the allied cementary.

Easiest would be to read a book about the fightings and then rent a car and drive to the various spots of intrest, most are located at the north shore anyway.

Nothing WW2 like but you shouldn´t miss the Samaria Gorge trip either!

If you really want to get a feel for the Commonwealth experience on the island, you could try and get a guide to take you up over the mountains from Souda to Sfakia. That would be an extremely tough walk though.

Regards
33

Oh yes, forgot that. The monastary at Moni Prevelli (near the above mentioned Hora Sfakion). That´s where they hided british soldiers from the germans and evacuated them via submarines. If you drive down the coast "highway" you´ll pass by another allied monument.

ORIGINAL: Golf33

If you really want to get a feel for the Commonwealth experience on the island, you could try and get a guide to take you up over the mountains from Souda to Sfakia. That would be an extremely tough walk though.

Regards
33

Read "The flowers of Rethymnon" for a good first hand account on this.

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll keep all in mind and do some background reading!

Need to think long and hard about that 'extremely tough walk' on holiday though [:)]

ORIGINAL: IanAM

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll keep all in mind and do some background reading!

Need to think long and hard about that 'extremely tough walk' on holiday though [:)]

Do the Samaria Gorge walk for training, it´s only 15 kilometers, but a killer . Nice thing is you finish right down at the beach so you can cool of your feet immediatly.

This sounds like it's becoming a fitness program...I usually gain weight on holiday [:)]

ORIGINAL: IanAM

This sounds like it's becoming a fitness program...I usually gain weight on holiday [:)]

Considering the greek and cretian kitchen that´s not a problem anyway. You need to move too, otherwise you have to pay extra on the flight back [;)]

Update...

Have now returned from a fortnight in Crete!

Some photos on my website if anyone is interested in seeing them. I'm starting to build a section giving a little bit of info on the Battle of Crete, but at the moment it really is just a collection of my photos from Maleme and Souda.

Site is at

www.nntk.net and follow the links on the left for 'battle of crete' and 'crete gallery'.

Hope someone finds them of interest - to me, visiting the cemeteries was very moving, and being in the area certainly gave an idea of the surroundings and terrain in Crete in general an Maleme in particular.

And no, I'm afraid I didn't do any of the mountain hikes mentioned in this thread [:)]

Ian,

Very nice. thanks.

Cool, thanks Iain. Hope you liked it there.

Of course the ultimate Crete "experience" would be to skydive out of a burning aeroplane, break your ankle on landing and have a bunch a guys shoot at you[:'(]. Either that or trudging up into the hills and living in a cave for a few years, before fashioning an outrigger canoe from driftwood, hoisting a bedsheet sail and setting course for Alexandria using a pin as a compass.

Cheers, Neilster.

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

Do the Samaria Gorge walk for training, it´s only 15 kilometers, but a killer . Nice thing is you finish right down at the beach so you can cool of your feet immediatly.

Real men park at the top, walk the whole way down, and then walk the whole way back up. ACK! The last 1000 yards I had to stop every five minutes or so. Basically crawled out at the top. LOL [:D]

ORIGINAL: Hentzau

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

Do the Samaria Gorge walk for training, it´s only 15 kilometers, but a killer . Nice thing is you finish right down at the beach so you can cool of your feet immediatly.

Real men park at the top, walk the whole way down, and then walk the whole way back up. ACK! The last 1000 yards I had to stop every five minutes or so. Basically crawled out at the top. LOL [:D]

I can imagine, the way down is tough enough allready [;)]

Of course the ultimate Crete "experience" would be to skydive out of a burning aeroplane, break your ankle on landing and have a bunch a guys shoot at you . Either that or trudging up into the hills and living in a cave for a few years, before fashioning an outrigger canoe from driftwood, hoisting a bedsheet sail and setting course for Alexandria using a pin as a compass.

You remind me a relative of mine.

He was in the Greek resistance in Crete when they were alerted that an informer had given their position to Germans who had already surrounded the area and were tightening the ring approaching them.

My uncle and another guy found themsemves in the middle of the night in a remote beach in south Crete.
There was an old wooden boat full with holes abandoned in the sand.

They were desperate ,so they took their chances to escape using this boat.
Imagine a scene where one guy uses his shirt to empty the water coming inside the boat while the other guy is rowing!
The good thing was that after some time the wet wood "expanded" and many holes were sealed.
Under these conditions they managed to row all the way till they were picked up by a british destroyer somewhere near Alexandria!!!

Amazing!

I remember reading about a cook on a merchantman torpedoed in the mid Atlantic. He made it to a lifeboat but pretty soon he was floating by himself with nothing but a lot of ocean for company. The boat had a little water, some dry biscuits, fish paste and fishing line in it. He was pretty close to the equator so it was hot.

He pulled a nail out of the planking with his teeth, bent it into a hook and baited it with fish paste. Soon he was pulling in fish but his water ran out fairly quickly despite careful rationing. He had no idea whether he was drifting or not. A few days after his water ran out he was severely dehydrated and in big trouble. He knew drinking sea water was a very bad idea but as he was dying anyway he did it. Incredibly, it tasted fresh. He thought he must have gone mad but drank some more. It still tasted fresh and he was beginning to feel better.

What had happened was that he had drifted fairly close to the mouth of the Amazon. Even though land was over the horizon, the Amazon's titanic fresh water output penetrates far out to sea. Soon he saw birds and then a fishing boat which rescued him.

Cheers, Neilster