The programme of memorial events to be held this week to mark the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete was published by the Regional Unit of Chania on 8th May. While the pattern of events stays much the same from year to year, there are some interesting variations, particularly in the side events, with this year the addition of guided tours, in both English and Greek, at Agioi Apostoli and the Allied War Cemetery in Souda. The programme is as follows:
Continue readingTag Archives: Maleme airfield
International military exercise ends at Maleme
Patrons of the Mylos café in Kolymbari harbour last Friday morning looked up from their cappuccinos and espressos to see a number of warships and smaller craft steaming to and fro in the distance. Earlier, parachute drops had been seen, and troops embarking on rubber boats in the harbour.
Continue readingFatal air crash at Maleme
An ultralight aircraft plunged into the sea near Maleme airfield on Thursday evening, killing the pilot and his passenger. The impact occurred some 300 metres offshore and was witnessed by people at the airfield. The emergency services were quickly on the scene and the plane’s two occupants were recovered and taken to Chania General Hospital, where they were confirmed dead.
Continue readingBattle of Crete closing ceremony at Maleme
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.
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