Battle of Crete Memorial: Resilience, bravery in a beautiful setting, a must see on a Greece tour
- Cookie & Keller
- May 23, 2014
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
THOUSANDS DIED FOR FREEDOM ON THIS IDYLLIC
MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND
STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER
"The Carpe Diem Kids"
Set above the sparkling waters of Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete, the Allied War Cemetery is one of the most peaceful and emotional places we have visited in our travels. Row after row of carefully maintained white headstones honors Commonwealth soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of Crete in World War II. Walking through the quiet grounds, surrounded by olive trees and sea views, we felt both the weight of history and the enduring spirit of remembrance that makes this memorial so unforgettable.
There’s a different rhythm to be found on Crete -- one that drifts far from its lively harbors and sun-drenched beaches into places of stillness and reflection.
In small villages scattered across the island, humble cemeteries sit quietly among cypress trees and wildflowers, often with sweeping views of the sea. Here, time seems to slow as weathered headstones, flickering candles, and carefully tended graves tell stories of generations past. Visiting these serene spaces offers a deeper connection to Crete’s soul here tradition, remembrance, and everyday life are gently intertwined.
ON THIS holiday Monday, honoring the fallen who died for peace, freedom and a better world, we travel to the Battle of Crete memorial in the Greek Isles.
True, it is possible to visit Crete without including this moving memorial. The island offers glamorous resorts and beaches.
THE CAPITAL city Heraklion, is one of the Mediterranean's most fascinating and vibrant cities, replete with unusual museums, delightful gardens and eateries. But the cemetery is important. Strolling past geraniums red as Christmas berries, it's hard to imagine the violence, bloodshed and death that marked ferocious World War II battles for this key harbor.
PAST SMALL, neat farmhouses, sunning chickens and sleeping dogs, one comes quietly to Souda Bay and the memorial.
Battle of Crete memorial highlights
Elegant stone walking paths flank rows and rows of crosses and white marble grave markers. What stories the ghosts could tell, of 1940 when Italy invaded mainland Greece and Crete's excellent harbors became a contentious battleground. The Germans wanted the strategic point, critical to their war effort.
ALLIED BOMBERS were within range. After much carnage, dominance of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean ended in mid-1941 when the Germans launched a massive airborne attack. Days of desperate and heroic fighting followed, but Allied troops were forced to evacuate. Thousands were taken prisoner or died.
NOW, REMAINS of the fallen sit sentinel at the northwest corner of Crete's Souda Bay. The meticulously groomed Battle of Crete Memorial holds the graves of hundreds, mostly Commonwealth, who struggled valiantly to defend Crete against the German invasion in May and June of 1941. During two months of horrible battle, thousands perished. More than 1,500 WWII servicemen are commemorated in the cemetery -- along with 19 World War I soldiers and some from other conflicts.
CRETE's FAME goes back centuries before this memorial. The island was central to the sophisticated Minoan Civilization, dating to 2700 B.C., and regarded as the earliest recorded civilization in Europe.
This imposing, largest Greek isle is also one of the largest in the Mediterranean, covering 8.303 kilometers and spanning 260 km, east to west.
The memorial's countless markers tell the tragic tale.
Its lovely, cave-lined coastline gives way to varied landscape, with many mountains.
In the U.S., our Memorial Day was born of the ashes of the Civil War. Originally called Decoration Day, it was officially proclaimed after the war that tore our country apart, on May 5, 1868. General John Alexander Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, with veterans of all military branches observed the day later that month, on May 30, 1868.
NEW YORK officially recognized the holiday in 1873 and by 1890 all the northern states joined. It took the losses of World War I for the southern states to recognize the day. From then on, the holiday was expanded to honor the dead of all wars and U.S. military actions.
FOR NEARLY a century, people called the holiday "Decoration Day" but it was not until 1967 that President Lyndon Banes Johnson signed legislation officially renaming the holiday "Memorial Day."
That atrocities and barbarism scarred this idyllic place called Crete seems incredible and unfitting.
HAPPILY, many Greek communities across the U.S. celebrate their heritage in the days before and after our U.S. Memorial Day. Moussaka, souvlaki, and gyros will soon be served in Downey, Calif., and other Los Angeles area towns. The Valley Greek Festival in Northridge, goes on the boards daily during Memorial Day weekend, 1-9 p.m.
THE 30th annual Downey Greek Festival is June 7-8, with Greek fare and vendors showing Greek music, crafts and more. Here in San Diego, St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church stages its annual Greek Festival, June 13-15 with parking behind the San Diego Unified School District offices near Park Blvd. and El Cajon Blvd. All share heritage, culture, music, traditions, customs and food.
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Always uplifting yet sad to walk through a war memorial cemetery. This one is so beautiful. Thank you.