Retracing the footsteps of the 28th Maori Battalion in Crete

In a special episode of Māpuna, RNZ producer Tama Muru visits the Greek island of Crete to delve into the history of the battle in 1941 which pitted New Zealand, Australian and British troops against elite paratroopers from Nazi Germany.

Cretan historian Apostolis Panigirakis leads a tour of famous battlefield sites such as Maleme, Galatas and 42nd Street near Suda Bay where the 28th Māori Battalion performed a haka before taking part in a bayonet charge against advancing German troops.

Apostolis said it was a heroic act which gave precious extra hours to Allied troops retreating to Crete's southern coast and ultimately saved many lives.

"[The Māori Battalion] had nothing to gain, the evacuation order had already been in place. Sources say they were out of food and they were out of ammunition as well, but it was a heroic act that is right now very famous among history enthusiasts and primarily the families of victims," he said.

"This actually, I think played a role on the evacuation side of things because I think that from this incident onwards the Germans were a little bit wary, they were a little bit [afraid] of the Anzacs after that and they wouldn't try to [have] a very close encounter and interact with them on the evacuation side of things."

Apostolis said some researchers described the men of the 28th Māori Battalion and the Anzacs as a whole during the battle of Crete as 'undefeated men in a defeated army.'

And what of the Cretans themselves? The end of the battle did not mean the end of resistance to German occupation as the tangata whenua fought back.

This included the audacious abduction of German General Kreipe in 1944. As Apostolis Panigirakis says the Cretans are 'a hard charging people' who are very friendly, but 'don't mess with them'.

"We're extremely hospitable, extremely friendly but hard charging as well. Especially people in the local villages, I would say they have a flair to them but in a good manner.

"So basically most of the time - actually always they have to be [some] of the most hospitable people you will ever meet, just don't mess with them," Apostolis said.

Many memorials remain around the Cretan city of Chania to commemorate the battle of Crete including a pōhutukawa tree gifted to the locals and plaque featuring the haka at the site of the 42nd Street bayonet charge.

The battle also forged an enduring bond with the people of Aotearoa that persists to this day.