The events commemorating the 82nd anniversary of the Battle of Crete culminated last Sunday, 28th May, with a ceremony at Maleme airfield, one of the main sites of the airborne invasion of May 1941. The event started at 6.30 pm with a memorial service led by Metropolitan Damaskinos of Kydonias and Apokoronas, who was accompanied by representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other clergy. Those in attendance included diplomatic representatives of the Allied nations involved in the Battle – the UK, Australia and New Zealand – military and local political authorities, and large numbers of the general public.
The ceremony, held in front of the Battle of Crete Memorial on Maleme airfield, included the laying of wreaths by the diplomatic, military and local representatives, and speeches by the Deputy Regional governor for Chania Nikos Kalogeris, the general secretary of the Municipality of Chania Giorgos Fragiadakis, and the mayor of Platanias Giannis Malandrakis.
Mr Kalogeris referred to the importance of the Battle of Crete in the course of the Second World War, echoing remarks he had made earlier in Chania, when he said: “I think that Germany paid a heavy price here in Crete from the resistance of the Cretan people – which was unanimous – because it was obliged to commit many forces here while it had enormous needs on the other fronts. I think that we contributed in our way to the defeat of fascism.”
Giannis Malandrakis also made reference to the events of May 1941, and reiterated his Municipality’s demand for the airfield to be turned over to the local community.
There a followed a display of parachute jumping by the 1st Parachute Squadron, which is based at Maleme, and a display of aerobatics by an F-16 of the 115th Fighter Wing from Souda.
An amateur video of the event, including the parachute jumping and air display, can be seen on YouTube here.