War museum on Crete

Discussion in 'WW2 Museums. Events, & places to see.' started by Peter Clare, Dec 30, 2008.

  1. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

  2. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    That's quite a collection, Peter. I have never been to Crete - obviously something to add for any future visit.
     
  3. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Thanks Peter, always wanted to go to Crete. That collection look pretty extensive.
    The Norton looks great (I'm sure Mr Payne would like it).
     
  4. Kieron Hill

    Kieron Hill Senior Member

    Spent a couple of weeks holiday in Crete lovely place, brought every book I could on the battle hired a motorbike and off I went visisted a gorge which if I can remember rightly they claimed it to be second to the grand canyon, bit sketchy but I think they tried to smuggle a kidnapped German General out in 41...now I did say I think so...it was sometime ago. Great place loved it, lots of little war memorials :poppy: dotted around when you go through the moutains...hmmm want to go back
     
  5. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Spent a couple of weeks holiday in Crete lovely place, brought every book I could on the battle hired a motorbike and off I went visisted a gorge which if I can remember rightly they claimed it to be second to the grand canyon, bit sketchy but I think they tried to smuggle a kidnapped German General out in 41...now I did say I think so...it was sometime ago. Great place loved it, lots of little war memorials :poppy: dotted around when you go through the moutains...hmmm want to go back


    The Abduction of General Kreipe in Crete in 1944
     
  6. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    the location of the museum pops up on Google earth :)
     

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  7. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Strangely, I mentioned the abduction of Kreipe only yesterday on this thread :- http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/books-movies-tv/16867-too-many-*nice-nazi*-films-being-made.html

    Bored by the UK TV over Christmas, I found a cheapie DVD of "Ill Met by Moonlight" at my parents. Thoroughly recommended.

    Gage, I'd never turn down a girder-forked Norton at the right price. Principally, I'd like that man's Lucas Altette horn bracket, especially as he's lost the horn.

    The bike could be a survivor of the fall of Crete but it has obviously seen extensive post-war use. The fuel tank looks to have a leaded repair where the forks can clash if the stops get bent ("They all do that, Sir !"). This makes me wonder if it was one of the many reconditioned Nortons sold to the Greeks post-war (or exchanged in some odd three-way deal or other, Olive Oil has been mentioned).

    Most of the bikes were sold off about twenty years ago. Many came back to northern Europe. The last batch of New Old Stock WD Norton spares only came out of Greece about five or six years ago, having been transferred from the army to the paramilitary police. I've got quite a few of their bits in my stash !
     
  8. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Strangely, I mentioned the abduction of Kreipe only yesterday on this thread :- http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/books-movies-tv/16867-too-many-*nice-nazi*-films-being-made.html

    Bored by the UK TV over Christmas


    Surely not, Rich!!! :)
    I see the BBC are repeating what was only on a few days ago. I like QI but I don't want to see the same episode within days of each other.

    My fiancee's mum bought me a book back from Crete last year called 'The Abduction of General Kreipe' by 'G.Harokopos' but I haven't read it yet.
     
  9. adelphi08

    adelphi08 Junior Member

    Was in Crete a few years ago. If anyone go's there don't be scared to have a wonder around some of the side streets in the towns and villages.
    While killing some time after coming out of a museum i took a stroll up a street and came across a Willys Jeep that had obviously not moved in a while and a girder forked BSA M20 with the WD markings holding up an advertising board outside a bar.
    We stayed in AGHIOS NIKOLAOS which has a small sea water Lake that was said to be bottomless, until Jaque Cousteau and his team done an Diving expidition sometime i think in the 70's and hit bottom where they found some old cookers ,fridges and 2 German Tanks. Oh and i visited the Commonwealth war cemetary at SUDA BAY.
     
  10. phylo_roadking

    phylo_roadking Very Senior Member

    I spent a week on Crete some years ago and did the same - hired a bike and toured the island. There is also an outdoor museum owned by the same guy as owns a small but good war museum in the village of Episkopi, about 9 miles inland from Heraklion...but the outdoor "park" of wartime vehicles is stuck away up incountry and not signposted :D More of a hobby than a truly public museum LOL

    For anyone going back, there are now several companies that do tours based on the route taken by Paddy Fermor and Billy Moss after kidnapping Gen Kreipe, and the Cretans have now put a memorial up at the crossroads where the ambush took place.

    it took me half a day wandering around - but I also found the private war memorial raised by a local in Galatas... made from the two front track guards of Roy Farran's Vickers Light tank.
     
  11. Verrieres

    Verrieres no longer a member

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