King of Greece Slept in Gave With Shepherd

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 124, 27 May 1941, Page 5

King of Greece Slept in Gave With Shepherd

Mistaken for German Parachute Troops DRAMATIC STORY OP ESCAPE FROM CRETE United Prers Association—By Electr'o Telegraph—Copy r igh t. Received Monday, 9.45 p.m. LONDON, May 20. The Greek King and his Ministers have arrived in Egypt en route to British territory, alter escaping from German parachutists and air attacks. During the 72 hours’ journey over rugged mountains the royal party siepo in caves with shepherds. They were fired on by Greek patrols who mistook them for German parachutists. None was injured. King George, in a message to the Greek people, disclosed that tho houses occupied by him and M. Tsouderos (the Prime Minister) were among the first objectives of the German parachutists, of whom the first flight landed within a few hundred yards. Fighting began immediately. “We became separated from our troops. It was also impossible to keep touch with the military and civil authorities, for which reason it was necessary for us to withdraw from Crete in order to frustrate enemy plans. “With profound regret we decided to leave the heroic island while the Allied forces, also all Cretans irrespective of age, continued to fight with the most admirable courage against the unsuccessful attacks of the enemy, who is using with his usual ferocity every mechanised device at his disposal.

“I am convinced that it is in the interests of the whoie Greek nation that our lawful Government should continue to function in closest collaboration with the British Government. In tho final victory the honour awaiting you people of Crete will be great because you are tne last glorious rampart of the Greek nation. All Greeks throughout the world are watching you in the white mountains of Crete with confidence and admiration. ”

General Freyberg advised the king to leave Crete before the German attack, but the king insisted on remaining until the last possible moment. The king left Crete on Friday. Tho party included Sir Michael and Lady Palairet, also memoers of the British Legation from Greece. Major-General Heywood, head of the military mission to Greece, and Colonel J. S. Blunt, military attache to Greece, who accompanied King George and party, graphically described the adventures before leaving Crete. General Heywood said the Germans on Sunday launched increasingly heavy air attacks on the aerodromes of Candia, Rethymno and Malemi, and on shipping and installations at Suda Bay. Their attacks were very heavy on Sunday and they severely bombed a hospital, killing three doctors and several patients. More heavy bombings occured early on Tuesday. At 8 a.m. crowds of parachutists came down in the area sofith-westwards of Canea. There swarms of parachutists as well as troop-carriers and gliders landed northwards of Canea and tried to land on Malemi. The landing of parachutists went on steadily until noon, with continual machine-gunning of the town and olive-groves, and there w r ere dogfights wherever parachutists lauded. Fortunately the king had left his house, southwards of Canea, the night before, and went to the house of the Prime Minister at Perivoli'a. Colonel Blunt then took up the story.

“The king occupied a house commanding a wide view of the countryside. The guard consisted of an escort of Greek gendarmerie and a platoon of New Zealanders under the command of SecondLieutenant W. H. Ryan. Tho platoon had been in action in Greece from the start of tho Balkan campaign. They were aroused by tho roar of a squadron of Messerschmitts overhead and King George, Prince Peter and the Prime Minister came out to watch them. The remainder of the party, including the Governor of the Bank or Greece and the Prime Minister’s secretary, were in another house in the village. “Bombers followed the Messerschmitts, bombing targets where they thought there were troops. Then, coming through the smoke of the bombardment from the north we saw a very large force of aeroplanes and took cover in the trenches. Large gliders appeared over the house, circling a long time. We did not see them land, although others landed later at the bottom of the King’s garden. “it was clear that a landing was going to be made, and shortly afterwards we saw troop-carrying planes flying very low in chaius of three from the west. They seemed endless. Then parachutists started dropping.” Colonel Blunt continued: “A company of parachutists estimated at 150 to 200 came down in the area where the king had been tho day before. It was an extraordinary sight. Their parachutes were red or green and we saw through our glasses the French chalk in whien they were packed popping off as the parachutes came out of their containers. ‘ ‘ The nearest parachutists were about 800 yards away. We saw a number of parachutes which did not open and let the men fall straight to the ground. There was a great deal of hiachiiiogunning from the planes, also firing in all directions from our anti-aircraft guns and troops. “We'decided that it was no use staying, as our house would obviously bo attacked as a useful observation post. With difficulty due to tho low-flying planes, we collected our party. Ihe whole thing happened so quickly that we could not get transport and took to the hills literally with what we could carry in our hands. ‘ 4 We saw another flight of parachutes come down on our road and for this reason had to climb a 3560 ft. hill in the great heat. Every five or ten yards wo had to take cover, as hundreds of planes were whizzing about in every direction. Everyone had to lie down. Prince Peter said he could see the faces of -the rear gunners in the planes.” Colonel Blunt explained that eyeryono was nervous of Germans in British and Greek uniforms. Therefore - parties indulged in much shouting before meeting, each thinking the others were parachutists. After climbing the ridges, the royal party at noon arrived at a cave occuied by a Cretan shepherd and his family, beside a little spring. They sheltered there until 3 p.m., when they continued their journey to Panagya. From there Colonel Blunt tried to contact Canea, but tho situation was so confused with much fighting that ho