Eventlist

Lecturer: Dr. Peter Ewer

Entry: FREE

Synopsis

The 'battle for Crete' in May 1941 was in fact a series of quite separate battles, in which the defenders were successful, except for one – at Maleme aerodrome.

That single defeat on May 20 would result in the loss of Crete as a whole, and in this lecture, Dr Ewer explores the reasons for the loss of the aerodrome, using contemporary footage of the battlefield, together with interviews from surviving veterans. He provides fascinating insights into the fighting at Maleme, which would determine the fate of the whole of Crete.

Bio

Dr Peter Ewer is an Australian historian and author.

He is published in internationally renowned academic journals the Journal of Military History (University of Virginia). He has also published in the Journal of Transport History (University of Manchester Press, UK), and a range of local history journals, including Australian Historical Studies (University of Melbourne).

Forgotten Anzacs: the campaign in Greece, 1941, published in 2008, was the first extensive re-examination of the Greek campaign since the publication of the official histories in Australia and New Zealand in the 1950s. The revised edition of the book published in 2016, incorporates fresh archival research into British planning for the campaign, shedding new light on the ANZAC contribution to the defence of the Greece.

Peter served as the historical advisor to the 42nd Street Memorial Trust, the community organisation that built the memorial at Tsikalaria Street, Tsikalaria, Crete, to commemorate the fighting there on 27 May 1941, and unveiled by the New Zealand Governor General on 19 May 2016.

Sponsors

We'd like to thank the following donors: Battle of Crete & Greece Commemorative Council.

During the course of the year considerable expenses are incurred in staging the seminars. In order to mitigate these costs individuals or organisations are invited to donate against a lecture of their choice.

You too can donate for one or more seminars and (optionally) let your name or brand be known as a patron of culture to our members, visitors and followers, as well as the broader artistic and cultural community of Melbourne.  Please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 03 9662 2722.

We also like to thank the following corporate sponsors for their support: