The ANZAC Corp was formed for the second and last time in Greece in 1941. During the Axis assault on the small and impoverished nation in the Mediterranean basin in 1940 and 1941 the Greek Armed Forces were aided by a combined force of Australians, New Zealanders and British soldiers. In March 1941 the Australian and New Zealand command, in order to boost morale, formed the ANZAC corp. The Greek campaign, as it is known, was culminated in Crete on 20th of May 1941. The rest is history.
It is this history of the Battle of Crete, Melbourne's Greek diaspora were commemorating last weekend. Spearheaded by the Cretan associations, the commemorations included a parade and lying of wreaths at the Shrine of Remembrance.
It was there, in front of the eternal flame, that Shirley Devery told us the story of her father Tom Devery. His enlisting in the 2nd Australian Imperial Force, his battles in the Middle East with the 6th Division and the Greek campaign. Tom Devery was evacuated from Kalamata aboard the ill-fated Costa Rica which was sunk on route to Alexandria, Egypt. He was rescued by another ship and taken to Crete where, a few days later, he fought at the historic Battle of Crete. When the island capitulated, Tom with some of his comrades from the 2/6th Infantry Battalion, made their way to Sfakia, the evacuation point of the Allied troops but he was captured. He spent the rest of the war years in POW camps in Germany and Austria.
Shirley Devery was one of the many descendants of the WW 2, Greek Campaign veterans who participated in the commemorations of the 77th anniversary of the Battle of Crete honoring the memory and the sacrifices of the second ANZACS.
Norman Maddock was a young man just 18 years of age when he enlisted in the Australian Army (2nd AIF) in 1940. He fought with the 2/7th Infantry Battalion in mainland Greece and Crete. The 2/7th was part of the rearguard who undertook many battles, including the battle of 42nd St, in order to delay the German advance and allow the 12,000 allied troops to reach the evacuation point of Sfakia. Most members of the 2/7th were captured by the Nazis, including its commander Theo Walker. it is believed that T.Walker stepped off an evacuation vessel when he realized that most of his men would be left behind. N. Maddock was captured and spent the rest of the war years in POW camps.
The commemorations were coordinated by the Battle of Greece and Crete Commemorative Council with the assistance of the Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne and Victoria and the Pancretan Association of Melbourne.
Interview & article: Dina Gerolymou
Digital assistance: Argyro Vourdoumpa
