Kiwis in Crete 1941

Kiwis in Crete 1941
Part of New Zealand at War Week on WW2TV
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The Battle for Crete was one of the most dramatic battles of the Second World War. Over 12 days in May 1941 a mixed force of New Zealanders, British, Australian and Greek troops desperately tried to fight off a huge German airborne assault. Despite suffering appalling casualties, the parachutists and glider-borne troops who led the invasion managed to secure a foothold on the island and eventually gained the upper hand. The battle ended with the evacuation to Egypt of the bulk of the Allied force. In today's show, Glyn Harper will explain the role of the New Zealand part of "Creforce".

Glyn Harper QSM is a New Zealand historian who specialises in the military history of the 20th century. He has published several books on New Zealand's participation in the First and Second World Wars. Before becoming a writer, he served for eight years in the Australian Army before transferring to the New Zealand Army. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in 2001 from the University of New England with a thesis on Howard Kippenberger, a New Zealand general of the Second World War. He then served as the official historian for New Zealand's military deployment to East Timor from 1999 to 2001. He retired from the New Zealand Army in 2001 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He became a lecturer at Massey University in Palmerston North, and was made an associate professor in military studies the following year. In 2003 he was appointed director of the Centre for Defence Studies. He is currently Professor of War Studies at Massey University, and supervises doctoral students.

We suggest watching Matthew Wright's show about the Creforce Leadership
General Freyberg and the 2nd New Zealand Division General Freyberg and the 2nd New Zeal...
and Greg Way's show about the German attack
Operation Mercury - The Invasion of Crete Operation Mercury - The Invasion of C...

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