General Julius Ringel (1899–1967) presents an award to a young German mountain trooper following the Battle for Crete.
Austrian-born Ringel commanded the 5th Mountain Division in Greece and Crete. On 22 May 1941 he was given control of all German forces on Crete and told to secure the island. While he achieved this objective, Ringel’s decision to push his troops eastwards towards Retimo allowed the bulk of Creforce to escape south to Sfakia for evacuation. For his leadership during the battle he was awarded the prestigious Knight’s Cross in June 1941.
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: DA-12642-F
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.
