Does anyone have any information on the 5th Cretan Division? My Grandfather served with this unit in Northern Greece while fighting the Italian invasion from Albania. But he was also instrumental in the resistance against the Nazis in Crete. Im trying to tie together these two periods in his service ? Were Division soldiers sent back to Crete to fight the Nazis? thank you Manny
Interpretation of a couple of lines in this source points reveals that the 5th Cretan was cut-off and left behind in the Albanian front during the Nazi onslaught, and that Crete was defended mainly by Commonwealth troops, Greek army and gendarmerie cadets, and civilians: http://www.shealtiel.com/shealtiel/thereunions/speech_mamalakis.pdf Somehow he was able to make it back to the island (during the Commonwealth retreat or afterwards) but I don't think he did it with his sub-unit.
