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The Greek island of Crete is renowned for its beauty and ruggedness. Its people’s hospitality and food are also alluring – something which I fondly remember having grown up in an Australian neighbourhood amongst quite a few families from Crete. In all those years though, I never once heard about the Battle of Crete. My only ‘battle’ with Crete was trying to secure a second or third delicious kalitsounaki that Theia Zaharoula, our neighbour, made.
On a Greek group tour to Crete with my family decades ago, we were led to interesting sites like the Samaria Gorge and Ancient Knossos. One of our sons, then aged six, was so impressed with the island that he vowed, “I will live here in Crete one day.” And he did so, going on to study at two Cretan universities in Chania and then Heraklion.
I would often visit him and other parts of the island, meeting locals but again, never once did I hear any mention of the Battle of Crete. My husband had alluded to something about Australians and Cretans having a bond due to WWII. In hindsight, I feel rather sheepish that I didn’t bother to look into the Battle of Crete then, so now I’m making up for lost time…"