In early 1941, Britain committed nearly 60,000 soldiers to help defend Greece from an imminent German invasion. This included some 17,000 troops from the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). When the invasion came in April 1941, the Allies put up stiff resistance, but were soon forced into an arduous retreat. Over the next couple of months, an astounding 39% of the AIF in Greece and Crete were killed, wounded or taken prisoner of war. Despite this, the campaign remains relatively less well known. In this presentation, Patrick Ferry (State Manager, Victoria for the National Archives of Australia) will share the stories of some soldiers from Pakenham, Victoria who were caught up in this tragedy. Patrick will also talk about a major National Archives’ project to digitise WW2 Army and RAAF service records.

Please book – email Eileen at –  secretary@nwfgh.org.au