By RON PALENSKI
Published by Hodder Moa in TPB on 26 March 2013 / RRP $39.99
'Courage is the thing; all goes if courage goes'
– Playwright J.M. Barry on Bernard Freyberg
Ron Palenski returns with a fascinating and accessible account of New Zealand's role in the Battle for Crete during the Second World War. Both sides wanted it for strategic reasons but only one would win. Could a decorated New Zealander lead the Allies to success?
The man in charge of hanging on to the Greek Island of Crete was Bernard ('Tiny') Freyberg, the New Zealand Division Commander. With him was a ragtag army of New Zealand, Australian, British and Greek soldiers. They had to withstand the mightiest airborne invasion the world had seen.
Wearily, both sides fought almost to a standstill. It was a German victory but their losses were almost as many as those of the Allies. The New Zealanders got away thanks to the Royal Navy or on boats begged, borrowed or stolen; many never got away at all. Beaten and bedraggled, the men made their way back to Egypt. They'd fought for the first time as a New Zealand division under the overall command of a New Zealander and had been beaten by German forces at their most powerful.
This was a Kiwi-led action and inquiries followed: was Freyberg at fault? Did he make mistakes that allowed the Germans to make key advances? Were Freyberg's officers disloyal? Were his subordinates, schooled in the tactics of World War One, incompetent? Was he betrayed by his closest supporters, New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill?
But Crete was where the steel was tempered, where the baptism of fire withstood and like the British after Dunkirk, the New Zealanders rose again. Freyberg led them through North Africa and Italy, adding to their battle laurels as they went on, striking fear and respect into the hearts of enemies.
About the Author
Dr Ron Palenski is one of New Zealand's most respected authors. He has penned numerous best-selling sports books and is now forging a name for himself in popular military history. He has long had an interest in New Zealand's involvement in war, and the books How We Saw the War, and Kiwi Battlefields have been published to critical acclaim. His thesis for a master's degree in history was about New Zealand's only official war correspondent in World War I. He completed a doctoral thesis on how the identity of New Zealanderswas shaped during the 19th century, earlier than other historians have suggested, and that sport and war were integral factors in it.
After a lifetime in journalism, Palenski designed and set up the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in Dunedin in 1998-99, an operation that he continues to run. He has written more than 40 books.
Praise for Ron Palenski:
'Palenski writes with flair.' Sunday Star Times about Kiwi Battlefields
'Kiwi Battlefields is at least as good as anything else in the genre, and that includes Michael King's New Zealanders at War.' Dominion Post
'An excellent book, thoroughly recommeded.' North & South about How We Saw the War
'A good example of how popular history should be – engaging, wide-ranging and concise with strong human interest.' Hawkes Bay Weekend about Kiwi Battlefields
'Compelling reading,' Daily News about How We Saw the War
'Palenski's writing flows with stylish but uncluttered ease.' The Press about How We Saw the War
'This was a difficult task and has been well done.' Otago Daily Times about How We Saw the War
- 12 years ago
My father was one of the commandos sent to Crete to cover the retreat. They were told to ‘hold to the last’ and then surrender…so very few escaped.
Dad managed to board the cruiser HMS Orion, on its final run back to Alexandria on 29 May. The ship was attacked by German stukas: one bomb hit the Orion, wounding 280 and killing 260 (some sources say as many as 360 died).
Of the 800 commandos sent to Crete, about 600 were listed as killed, missing or wounded. Only 23 officers and 156 other ranks managed to escape to Egypt.
29 May 1941, just a week before my father’s 22nd birthday.