Greek Australians Honor 84th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete

Written on 05/25/2025
Paula Tsoni
The 84th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete was commemorated in pride and honour in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra.
Officials attend the commemorative event for the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete in Sydney, Australia, May 17, 2025. Credit: Facebook/Consulate General of Greece, Sydney

Greek Australians in Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne commemorated the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete with special events last week to honor the courage, sacrifice, and unwavering spirit of those who stood together in the face of invasion.

“From Cretan civilians to Allied soldiers including the ANZACs, their legacy lives on in our hearts, our history, and our identity,” the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand wrote on Facebook. 

The battle, codenamed Operation Mercury, which started on May 20th and ended on June 1, 1941, was the scene of the largest German airborne operation of World War II, and the resistance met from the Cretans and ANZAC forces proved to be of great importance for the course of the entire war.

It delayed the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union and also reduced the number of Nazi troops available for missions in the Middle East and Africa.

Battle of Crete commemorated in pride and honor

A memorial service and a wreath-laying ceremony for the 84th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete was held on May 17th at Martin Place Cenotaph in Sydney in honor of “the eternal friendship between Anzacs and Cretans, between Australia, New Zealand and Greece, forged through their common fight for freedom.”
Wreath-laying ceremony for the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete in Sydney, May 17, 2025.
Wreath-laying ceremony for the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete in Sydney, May 17, 2025. Credit: Facebook/Consulate General of Greece, Sydney
The joint event by the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney and the Cretan Association of Sydney New South Wales at the ANZAC Memorial was attended by the Vice Admiral Theodoros Mikropoulos HN, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Rear Admiral Christopher Smith, AM, CSM, RAN, Commodore Annita Williams, Director General Surface Combatants & Aviation Branch, RAN and Commodore Training, Commodore Training, RAN, as well as by descendants and relatives of Anzacs who actually fought in the Battle of Crete and were part of the Greek Campaign.

Professor Peter Monteath of Flinders University drew vividly an overview of the Anzacs’ participation in the Battle while highlighting the longstanding mateship bonds forged between the Anzacs and the Cretan population through great hardships, acts of heroism, and tangible solidarity.

Officials attend the commemorative event for the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete in Sydney, May 17, 2025.
Officials attend the commemorative event for the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete in Sydney, May 17, 2025. Credit: Facebook/Consulate General of Greece, Sydney
As Vice Admiral Theodoros Mikropoulos stressed in his address, these bonds, based on sacrifice, compassion, and shared values, continue today to stand strong between Greece and Australia.
In a particularly emotional moment, 102-year-old ANZAC Les Cook, one of the last living ANZACs who fought in the Battle of Crete, read the Ode of Remembrance during the commemorative event in Canberra on May 21st.

On May 23rd, the Cretan Brotherhood House of Melbourne and Victoria commemorated the events with a tribute to the historic battle, followed by live music from Cretan musicians and Cretan traditional dances.