Engineers awaiting evacuation from Crete

Exhausted New Zealand engineers (possibly from 7th Field Company) awaiting evacuation at Sfakia following their trek over the White Mountains. This photograph was taken by Lieutenant P.B. Wildey, 7th Field Company, New Zealand Engineers.

Credit

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: DA-10739
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page

Engineers awaiting evacuation from Crete, URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/engineers-awaiting-evacuation-crete, (Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 15-Jul-2013

Keywords

Community contributions

0 comments have been posted about Engineers awaiting evacuation from Crete Post a Comment

Anonymous Posted: 28 Jun 2008

My father Lieutenant Edward Tidswell RE was on Crete and had been before the arrival of the evacuated troops from Greece. He recounted to me that his engineers had been working at, I believe, Maleme when the first influx of German paratroops began to drop in. He recalled being ordered to withdraw his engineers and their equipment, which he did at nightfall. He told me that their withdrawal was covered by a rearguard in interlocking positions and referred to the site as Hill No. ? I presume, now, that this was Hill 107. The engineers withdrew under cover of darkness and laid up during the day in the olive groves. Travelling at night, they arrived with their equipment intact at the point of evacuation, only to be ordered by the Quayside Officer to destroy it, which they did. They were evacuated to Alexandria and my best guess is that they disembarked on HMS Orion, a cruiser, on which 400 casualties occurred due to bomb damage.

Permalink

Noel reader Posted: 28 Jan 2009

My father John Fredrick Reader, a royal engineer, was captured on Crete and sent back to Germany. I would like to know more. Can any one help?

Permalink

Jason Heffernan Posted: 25 May 2020

My Father Norman Heffernan was an Engineer in the 7th on Crete

Permalink

What do you know?

Can you tell us more about the information on this page? Perhaps you have a related experience you would like to share?

Your name

Email The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Comments will be reviewed prior to posting. Not all comments posted. Tell me more...

Today In History

See more

Engineers awaiting evacuation from Crete

How to cite this page

Keywords

What do you know?

Comment HTML

Culture & Society

Politics & Government

War & Society

The Classroom

Hands On History

Media Library

General

Today In History

See more

Engineers awaiting evacuation from Crete

How to cite this page

Keywords

Howard Kippenberger

Charles Upham

Bernard Freyberg

Geoffrey Cox

The Battle for Crete

What do you know?

Comment HTML