Two surviving witnesses of the Second World War-era Battle of Crete have renewed calls for Greek authorities to complete a long-delayed memorial honouring Allied and Cretan resistance fighters who opposed the 1941 German invasion.
Retired vice admiral Konstantinos Manioudakis and Ioanna Kantaraki, both aged 95, are among those campaigning for the unfinished memorial, which remains abandoned 35 years after construction began.
According to The Australian, the site today consists of a vandalised concrete shell surrounded by weeds and rubbish.
More than 10,000 Australian and New Zealand troops fought in the Battle of Crete, with local Cretans later sheltering many Allied soldiers left behind after the 1941 evacuation and joining resistance efforts against German occupation forces.
Kantaraki, a survivor of the Kandanos massacre, described the state of the memorial as “a shame and a disgrace for Crete,” while Manioudakis warned that living memories of the war are disappearing as survivors age.
The memorial project began in 1991 during the 50th anniversary commemorations of the battle but stalled after partial construction despite receiving funding in 2004.
Campaigners say completing the memorial is a matter of historical responsibility and respect for those who fought and died during the Battle of Crete.
Source: The Australian.
