The Souda Bay War Cemetery is a military cemetery administered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at Souda Bay, Crete, Greece. It contains 19 burials from World War I and 731 World War II burials where the body was identified along with another 776 burials of bodies which are unable to be identified (Battle of Crete). It was designed by architect Louis de Soissons.
| Suda Bay War Cemetery | |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth War Graves Commission | |
 | |
| Used for those deceased | |
| Location | 35°30′0″N 24°3′40″E Chania Municipality, Greece |
| Total burials | 1,564 |
| Statistics source: Cemetery details. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. | |
In the South East corner of the cemetery is a pillar memorial to the Seaforth Highlanders and their part in the international occupation of Crete, in the period March to November 1897.
History
editSouda Bay is a Collection Cemetery in the North of Crete. It was one of the original sites used by the occupying forces between 1941 and 1945.
In May 1941, the Commonwealth force in Crete was organised in five widely separated defence areas along the north coast - around the three airfields at Heraklion, Rethymnon and Maleme, and at Souda Bay and the port of Chania. The Germans launched their attack on 20 May with airborne troops. The airfield at Maleme was quickly captured and used for landing German reinforcements.
On 23 May, the remainder of the Maleme position had to be given up and its defenders fell back to Chania. On 26 May, the Allied line west of Chania was broken. Souda Bay became indefensible and the troops from these two positions, with the remainder of the Maleme garrison, withdrew across the island to Sfakion, where many of them were evacuated by sea on the nights of the 28 - 31 May. The airborne attacks on the Heraklion and Rethymnon positions on 20 May were repulsed. Heraklion was successfully defended until the night of 29/29 May when the garrison was evacuated by sea.
Orders for the Rethymnon garrison to fight its way southward for evacuation did not arrive, and it was overwhelmed on 31 May. Of the total Commonwealth land force of 32,000 men, 18,000 were evacuated, 12,000 were taken prisoner and 2,000 were killed. The site of Souda Bay War Cemetery was chosen after the war and graves were moved there by 21st and 22nd Australian War Graves Units from the four burial grounds that had been established by the German occupying forces at Chania, Heraklion, Rethymnon and Galatas, and from isolated sites and civilian cemeteries.
Notable Graves
editAmong those buried there are: Capt Charles Maurice Clynes Military Cross (1919 - 1945) The Royal Irish Fusiliers att. Special Air Service Regt. Army Air Corps. Buried at Plot 16 Row A Grave 20.
Military Cross : The above officer was commanding the West Force in Operation "TENEMENT" on SYMI on 13 - 14 July 44. The fact that this force was in position by zero hour despite difficulties of terrain was due in no small measure to the drive and initiative displayed by Capt. Clynes.
The dispositions of his force for the capture of the strong enemy position at SAN FANCURIA were excellent. On the order to attack being received he exposed himself fearlessly to accurate enemy MG fire the better to direct his forces. He himself led the final assault under heavy fire. His use of ground left our casualties ridiculously low. After the fall of the position he moved part of his force to bring fire on the CASTELLO and ordered the destruction of all enemy installations.
He displayed gallantry and leadership of the highest order in the rapidly taking of a heavily wired and mined position, the capture of which was essential to the general plan of the operation.
Capt Charles Maurice Clynes Wounded in Action by an ELAS sniper 29 January 1945 near Heraklion - Died of his Wounds as a POW, 6 February 1945 Athens, his body was returned to Crete for burial.
Captain John Pendlebury (archaeologist) Special Operations Executive (1904–1941), Executed by Fallschirmjäger in Heraklion. Buried in Plot 10 Row E Grave 13. The invasion of Crete began on 20 May 1941, Pendlebury was in the Heraklion area when the invasion started with heavy bombing followed by troops dropped by parachute. The enemy forced an entry into Heraklion but were driven out by regular Greek and British troops and by islanders armed with assorted weapons.
On 21 May 1941, when German troops took over Heraklion, Pendlebury slipped away with his Cretan friends heading for Krousonas, the village of Kapetanios Satanas, which was some 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the southwest. They had the intention of launching a counterattack, but on the way there Pendlebury left the vehicle to open fire on some German troops, who fired back. Some Stukas came over and Pendlebury was wounded in the chest. Aristea Drossoulakis took him into her nearby cottage and he was laid on a bed. The cottage was overrun and a German doctor treated him chivalrously, dressing his wounds; he was later given an injection.[1]
Lieutenant Kenneth Butler Lamonby, (Special Forces Officer), (1920 - 1943), formerly of the Suffolk Regiment, Royal Artillery and at the time of death; of Special Boat Squadron (S Detachment). (1920 - 1943) Buried at Plot 13, Row E, Grave 12.
Staff Sergeant Dudley Perkins 1915 – 25 February 1944), also known as Kiwi Perkins, was a New Zealand soldier who fought in Greece during World War II and participated in the Cretan resistance.[2] Buried in Plot 15, Row C, Grave 12.
In a shared Grave Plot 16, Row B, Grave 2 - Private Thomas Morris (RASC) (1929 - 1944), also of Special Boat Squadron (L Detachment), SAS and Gunner Albert Knaggs 4th Regiment (RA) (1922 - 1944) also of Special Raiding Squadron. Both died in the same Air Crash whilst transiting to Crete for Operations.
Albert Edward Cummings The youngest known burial. Mercantile Marine S.S. "Corinthia". Died 10 June 17, Age 16 years old. Buried at Plot 11, Row C, Grave 17.
Captain Thomas Victor Sommerville DSO OBE MC & BAR Royal Army Medical Corps Oldest Serviceman Died 23 November 1941 age 56 years old, after a short illness.
Along with his batman Corporal Fred Marlow, they stayed on the Island after the battle. They were befriended by local partisans, and lived in the hills and mountains during the summer of 1941. During this period Somerville was taken ill; he died on 23 November 1941 and was buried in a local cemetery lying between a local soldier and a local woman. At the end of the war, he was reburied at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Souda Bay, Crete. Buried at Plot 13, Row E, Grave 1.
Donkeyman Frances Connor Merchant Navy S.S. Logician (Liverpool). Oldest Burial Died 16 May 1941, Age 65 years old. Buried at Plot 8, Row C, Grave 17.
References
edit- ^ Nicholas Hammond, from chapter "John Pendlebury" in John Pendlebury in Crete. Cambridge: University Press (1948).
- ^ Elliott, Murray. Vasili: The Lion of Crete, Hutchinson NZ Ltd., 1987; Efstathiadis Group, 1992.
External links
edit
- Suda Bay War Cemetery Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- Souda Bay War Cemetery at Find a Grave
