Part of an interview with Major Rangi Logan (Ngāti Kahungunu) of D Company about his service in the Māori Battalion during the Crete campaign.
This interview begins with his recollections of fighting on Crete and he recalls shooting a German paratrooper and then fighting hand to hand with another German.
He mentions coming across his two comrades Jack Tainui of Little River and Governor Matthews of Karitāne, who were stalking a German with a bayonet. They were told to get ready for the attack on Maleme Aerodrome, but were then pulled back to Platanias and Galatos.
Major Dyer asked him to lead the company back, some two miles. He had a tommy gun but it kept jamming so he swapped it for a Bren gun. They kept pulling back to an area known as 42nd Street. The British were meant to be holding it but the Germans arrived and the Māori Battalion then made their first charge as a unit. D Company was on the left flank. He describes hearing the haka and calls of the men, and watching Major Dyer stumble and avoid being shot by a German rifle as a result.
They were pulled back further inland over a range of high hills. He and Major Dyer were the only D Company officers left. They had been fighting for seven days by this point. He recalls Major Bertrand giving him a hard time as they marched.
He also talks of his father's German binoculars that he had misplaced early in the battle, turning up again later on Crete. He remembers having to urge the tired men to keep marching through the night as they knew the Germans were pursuing them.
They reached the road overlooking the port of Sfakia. He recalls Jack Tainui taking a weapon off a British soldier, and then finding it hadn't even been prepared for firing.
D Company was ordered to choose some men to remain behind for another 24 hours while the others were evacuated. Six officers and 144 other ranks remained behind, while the Battalion's men who were married or had children were ordered to evacuate, including his batman. Rangi Logan gave him his gold watch and money belt.
He talks about how after days without food they got supplies from a food dump the night the rest of the division was evacuating. He recalls a panicking British soldier grabbing hold of him, scared he was going to be left behind. The embarkations stopped at midnight so the Royal Navy ships cold sail under cover of darkness for Egypt.
They found a well and pulled up water by lowering their tin hats into it. His men insisted that he have a whole tin of bully beef instead of the half-tin they were all assigned. Next morning they moved east of Sfakia where hundreds of other troops were waiting.
He describes an incident in the afternoon when the 22nd Battalion arrived, lead by Les Andrews, a V.C. from World War I, who tried to pass Major Logan's men who had been ordered not to let anyone past.
They were strafed by two Messerschmidts, which narrowly missed them. Eventually they embarked on the last ship, the Abdiel. He sat on deck with Jim Tuhiwai and they were relieved to arrive in Egypt and see Padre Harawira and Colonel Dittmer waiting for them. An impromptu service of thanksgiving was held for the Battalion's safe arrival out of Crete. [continued on ID48565]