Many years have passed since the Australians and New Zealanders, who fought at the Battle of Crete, left their homelands to join forces with the British soldiers fighting in Europe.

Through the book «Clouds of Silk & Olive Trees: Stories from the Battle of Crete» by Australian author Deborah Wheeler, we can understand how some of these soldiers from distant lands felt, what they went through, and what their experiences were in Greece, Crete, and the prisoner-of-war camps where some were imprisoned.

We realize how much it meant to them when they received a letter or a parcel from their loved ones. We see how deeply they mourned their comrades who fell in battle. The forging of unbreakable bonds, especially with the Cretans who fought with admirable self-sacrifice alongside them, often with heavy consequences for themselves, their families, and friends.

80 years later, as this book demonstrates, the bonds of friendship remain ever strong and are passed down from generation to generation. The legacy of the Battle of Crete remains indelible both in Greece, particularly in Crete, and in Australia and New Zealand.

"You did everything to save us. We are finished, but the war is not. For this reason, save what you can to help us win the war elsewhere." Alexandros Koryzis, the last Prime Minister of Greece before the beginning of the dark years of Occupation.