Welcome to this website, a website dedicated to all the men who served in Crete in the Second World War, and their families, and in particular the many who became members of UK Crete Veterans and Friends Society and its forerunner, The U.K. Crete Veterans Association.

This website primarily exists to remember those who served their country, the United Kingdom, in The Battle of Crete in 1941, and in occupied Crete and elsewhere after the battle was lost. It is for our veteran members and their families to use to tell of their recollections, to seek out and contact old friends, to know what is going on in their Society, and indeed, any other purpose they may wish.

The site's secondary purpose is to serve as a resource for the many who wish to know more about this period of history.

The aims of the website mean that will for ever be ' a work in progress'. We welcome contributions that are relevant to our core objectives. Experiences of related websites suggests that websites such as this can be powerful tools in putting people in touch with other interested parties, and finding answers to questions. Use the link 'Seeking Information' if you might wish to make use of this facility which is freely available to all.

Please use the links in the left hand column to explore the site, and check back from time to time for updates.

I regret to advise that, at the Associations AGM in 2012, the decision to wind the Society up was taken. This will not mean that the interest in Crete Veterans ceases. A looser, informal group will stay in touch through exiting contact networks and through this website. It is expected that people will continue to ravel to Crete to Commemorate the Battle of Crete anniversaries as they occur though there will be no formal arrangements made on behalf of members either to travel or to attend any events in any formal capacity. If anyone is interested in volunteering to assist in the management of this loose arrangement and this website then please contact me.

On behalf of all the veterans, their families and friends I would like to thank all those who have freely given their time to keep the Society alive and well for as long as they did so. This sad day was anticipated many years ago and they did well to postpone it for so long. There are many to thank, too many to name individually but I trust I may be permitted one exception, namely Maureen Moss who has been our secretary and the force behind the Society for so long and through thick and thin. Thank you Maureen

Tim Todd

Webmaster 

Feb 2013. I am now pleased to be able to take up an offer from Paul London from New Zealand to publish the Newsletter of The New Zealand Battle of Crete Association Inc. Follow this link, or that on left side bar.

A new veterans account . Please see Reverend Simmons story by his son Geoff and new requests at HMS Phoebe 43

New books.

I have now finished 'Known unto God' and my initial hopes for it being a great read for  our members and those with similar interests have been fully realised. It is clear that Bob Bibby has done a lot of research in and about Crete, and indeed in parts of the UK known to me.  The author has woven the history with a fictional account of a family  with connections to Crete. Everything about it rings so true it must have a basis in fact.  I am usually cautious in recommending fictional books to wide audiences but I have no hesitation in saying that I believe that this account will be thoroughly enjoyed by anyone who knows anything about Crete and the Battle. I would go further and suggest it will be a very good read for the grandchildren or relatives of anyone who fought in Greece. It isn't a historical account, though historical events set the scene, but a tale about  one man's war  and the consequences for a family. There are a number of surprises- but I'll leave them  for you to discover. I thoroughly recommend it .

For those who may have had difficulty ordering through Amazon, Bob invites you to go to www.bobbibby.co.uk and click on the 'Known unto God' link which will open and allow you to buy through paypal. He adds that it is cheaper that way being only £8.00 incl p&p whereas Amazon is an extra £2.80 for p&p. Great present for Xmas for someone.

Artemis Cooper's biography of Paddy Leigh Fermor is out now. Patrick Leigh Fermor - An Adventure is available from all good bookstores as they say. It has been very well received by the critics and those who knew him and was, for the week commencing 19th November 2012, BBC Radio 4's Book of the Week. I was privileged to be invited to it's launch at the Travellers Club Pall Mall London, where a great evening was had by all. A report on that evening, and much more about Paddy and friends,  may be found at a friend's blog, Tom Sawford, at http://patrickleighfermor.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/more-pictures-from-the-launch-of-patrick-leigh-fermor-an-adventure/