‘Mates and Allies’ exhibition celebrates Greek-Australian bonds in Battle of Crete

The Australian Embassy in Athens presents “Mates and Allies,” an exhibition at Athens International Airport paying tribute to the bonds forged between Australians and Greeks during the World War II Battle of Crete.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the historic event, the exhibition at the airport’s arrivals lounge comprises 59 photographs from the Australian War Memorial that offer a glimpse into Australia’s contribution to the 1941 Battle of Greece between the Allied forces and Nazi Germany.

The exhibition, the embassy said in a post on Facebook, “pays tribute to the service and sacrifice of the Australian and other Allied soldiers on Crete and honors the courage and generosity of the Cretan people, who did not just fight bravely to defend their island but also, at great risk to themselves and their families, sheltered and helped the Allied soldiers to safety.”

It was inaugurated on Monday by Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Yiannis Kefalogiannis, Ambassador of Australia in Greece Arthur Spyrou and the marketing and communications director of AIA, Ioanna Papadopoulou.