' A Unique Sort of Battle. ' New Zealanders Remember Crete

Hutching, Megan with Ian McGibbon, Jock Phillips and David Filer, Eds.

ISBN 10: 1869503945 / ISBN 13: 9781869503949

Published by Harper Collins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited, Auckland, 2001

About this Item

23.5x21.5 cm, 254 pp, map, b&w photo illus, soft covers. Small remainder mark to page bottoms. A few pages with a line or three of highlighting; otherwise a very good cpoy. VG minus. A heavy book - overseas buyers please ask for a freight quote.

Seller Inventory # 009248

Bibliographic Details

• Title: ' A Unique Sort of Battle. ' New Zealanders Remember Crete
• Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited, Auckland
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1869503945
• ISBN 13: 9781869503949
• Binding: Soft Covers
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: Very Good Minus
• Dust Jacket Condition: None
• Seller catalogs:
  • Military - New Zealand
  • Military - Overseas

About this title

Synopsis

Of all the Second World War battles in which New Zealand troops fought, the Battle of Crete was perhaps the most dramatic. For 12 days in May 1941, a mixed force of New Zealand, British, Australian and American soldiers sought to prevent the island falling to the invading Germans. The defenders were hopelessly outnumbered and had little in the way of arms or munitions Still, they dug in and battled on gamely. Finally, the authorities realised that the island was going to fall, and they ordered the evacuation of thousands of soldiers. Not all could be taken off, and some 2100 New Zealanders remained on Crete, many of whom were taken prisoner of war. This is a collection of oral histories of 15 New Zealanders who were on Crete (including one woman). They each tell of their own experiences of the battle for Crete;the majority were soldiers, but one was a nurse, one a medical assistant, one a sailor on the evacuation ships. Prefaced with an introduction that explains the events that occurred before, during and after the battle for Crete.