On Wednesday, hundreds gathered in the village of Tsikalaria in Crete to witness Mayor of Chania, Manolis Skoulakis receive the 42nd Street memorial plaque.
Presented by Glenda Humes, eldest daughter of Captain Reg Saunders, the plaque will mark the location of a historic battle between Anzac and German forces on 27 May 1941. Known to the Allied troops as ’42nd Street’, the site near Tsikalaria has never previously been marked.
And what an event it was, climaxing with a breathtaking haka performed by descendants of NZ 28 (Maori) Battalion to celebrate the handing over of the plaque. 28 (Maori) Battalion fought at 42nd Street, alongside two Australian battalions raised in Victoria
The plaque, paid for by Australian Cretan and Greek community organisations and private donors, was conceived by Glenda Humes after visiting the site in 2010. Her father, who in 1941 was a 20-year-old Private in the Australian 2/7 Infantry Battalion, fought in the 42nd Street battle.
During her speech, Ms Humes described the plaque as a way to “bring recognition to the Anzac soldiers who were here, to mark their sacrifice and memory for future generations”.
“This is our gift to the brave people of Crete from the people of Australia and New Zealand.”
Under a cloudless Cretan sky the Tsikalaria community turned out in force with hundreds of local schoolchildren given time off school to join the celebrations.
Also attending the event was Australia’s Ambassador to Greece, Jenny Bloomfield, who has been a staunch supporter of the project.
Speaking to the plaque’s organisers, Deputy Mayor of Chania Dimitris Leipsakis confirmed that the Municipality was committed to creating a memorial site on Odos Tsikalarion (42nd Street) to display the plaque. A technical plan is to be drawn up by the end of July.
Chania Municipality Architect Engineer Aggelina Syrakouli has been tasked with the job of developing a suitable design.