Askifou War Museum

Slow day yesterday, we visited a war museum created by a Cretan family directly impacted by the war. Mainland Greece was taken by the Germans at the end of April 41. The battle for Crete was fierce because of its position in the supply line between Egypt and Malta. Both sides threw everything at it and losses were hideous for everyone, especially the poor civilian population. After 10 days of bitter fighting Crete was controlled by the Germans. Over 20,000 allied soldiers fought their way over the mountains to a small fishing port called Sphakia. The Navy were able to evacuate all but 5000 troops. The mainly Australian, NZ and British troops left were either captured, killed or joined with the local guerrilla campaign. Local families suffered greatly during battle and occupation. Those that survived then suffered through a civil war (46-49) and a military junta from 64-74.Read more