Thursday, December 13, 2012
The legend of a forgotten World War II battle, known as the charge at "42nd Street" in Crete, when, on May 27, 1941, soldiers from the 2/7th Australian Infantry Battalion and the 28 New Zealand Maori Battalion fought against a German charge and forced them to retreat, will be invoked on December 14, at a benefit concert in Melbourne, raising funds for an ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) memorial in Crete.
Honoree of the evening will be Reg Saunders, an exceptional soldier and Australia’s first Aboriginal commissioned officer, bound with eternal ties to Greece.
When the Allies evacuated Crete in the last days of May, 1941, the 2/7 battalion, along with thousands of allied troops, were left behind; many were taken prisoners of war, whilst some evaded capture, by hiding out in the hills and caves around the island.
Aided by locals, Saunders spent almost a year hiding out, mostly at a village called Labini, in the hills south of Rethymno, before being evacuated with other men by a British submarine in May 1942.
Glenda Humes, Saunders’ oldest daughter, has been fundraising for the memorial, following her visit to Crete and her emotional meeting with the family who had sheltered her father.
The concert, organised by Melbourne's Pan-Cretan Association, will take place in Melbourne's Federation Square, and will feature the Xylouris Ensemble and musician Richard Frankland, who is Saunders’ nephew.
Greek News Agenda: ANZAC Day Celebrations & 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete: "Lest we Forget"
