The 2019 anniversary of the 1941 Battle of Crete will be marked officially across Crete between 15 May and 21 May, with the major official events at Rethymno, Chania and Maleme scheduled over four days.

Friday May 17 (18.30) sees the first Australia-related commemoration at the 110 Martyrs Memorial at Misiria, near Rethymno. On Saturday May 18, the major Australian ceremonies take place – at Stavromenos (11.30) and the Australian Hellenic Memorial in Rethymno at 13.00. That evening the official commemorations organised by the Municipality of Rethymno move on to the south coast, with Preveli’s ceremony starting at 19.30.

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Organised by the Municipality of Chania, Monday May 20 sees the main Allied ceremony take place at Suda Bay War Cemetery at 17.00, with the Galatas commemoration at 19.30. On Tuesday 21 May, attention will turn to Tsikalaria on Chania’s outskirts for the ceremony at the 42nd Street Anzac Memorial.

The island’s official events and closing ceremony conclude that evening at Maleme, starting at 18.30. The Australian Embassy in Athens will be represented at the ceremonies by Defence Attaché Southern Europe, Captain Timothy Byles.

On Tuesday 21 May, attention will turn to Tsikalaria on Chania’s outskirts for the ceremony at the 42nd Street Anzac Memorial, with the ceremony starting at 12.30.

Across Crete, hundreds of villages will observe their own commemorative events, honouring the fallen and the sacrifices made by Cretans and their allies during the Battle and Crete’s four-year occupation by the Germans in WWII.