Galatas 1941

by Lynn McConnell

The story of one of the great bayonet charges in warfare. Two companies of New Zealand's 23 Battalion, and assorted support volunteers, were sent to reclaim the Cretan town of Galatas, the subject of five days of defence by non-combat trained New Zealand troops in May 1941. On May 25, 1941, the unrelenting power of German forces was concentrated on the strategic hilltop town and the New Zealand defenders, made up of drivers, petrol company men and assorted support forces, were forced to withdraw. However, at the call of the commanding officer Howard Kippenberger, later to lead the New Zealand Division, the two companies went back into the face of entrenched German machine gunners to reclaim the town in a 20-minute action with the bayonet. This book includes the memoirs of participants and highlights the activities of several of the prominent New Zealand soldiers including W.B. 'Sandy' Thomas, Clive Hulme VC and W.N. 'Bill' Carson MC in the days preceding the battle for Galatas.