Ministry of Culture and Heritage

Media release 18 May 2016

Battle of Crete remembered at National War Memorial

A service to mark the National Commemoration for the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete will be held at the Hall of Memories, Pukeahu National War Memorial Park on Friday 20 May.

The see-saw Battle of Crete saw some of the bloodiest and most dramatic action of the Second World War.

Out of a New Zealand force of fewer than 8,000 soldiers, more than 1600 were killed or wounded in the 12-day battle and more than 2180 were taken prisoner.

The service will be attended by Cretan veterans and their families, NZ Defence Force staff, diplomats, representatives of the Hellenic Armed Forces and the New Zealand Cretan community. The New Zealand Government will be represented by Internal Affairs Minister, Peter Dunne.

The public are invited to attend the service, which begins at 11am.

NZHistory, New Zealand’s online history resource has numerous articles, stories and facts on the Battle for Crete, plus compelling audio interviews with New Zealand soldiers who fought during the battle.

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/the-battle-for-crete

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/the-battle-for-crete/kiwi-stories

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