Greece - March to May 1941

In October, 1940, the Italians attacked Greece. British troops were landed in Greece and Crete. Early in 1941 a German invasion of Greece from Bulgaria became imminent and the British Governnment decided to send further assistance. A force was dispatched from Egypt, with Lieutenant-General H. Maitland Wilson 4 (Rifle Brigade) in command, in March.

The 9th Battalion (1st Bn. The Rangers), under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G. C. Ashburner, had left England in November, 1940, and had been training in the Delta for desert warfare for two months, when it was suddenly ordered to move to Greece.

The Battalion landed at Pirxus on 15th March and immediately moved north to Edessa, in the Vardar Valley — a distance of 300 miles over difficult mountain roads, very different from the desert to which they were just becoming accustomed. It says much for the high standard of driving attained that all the vehicles arrived without a major accident or breakdown. On arrival the Battalion was posted to the Armoured Brigade.

The original plan for stemming the German advance through Macedonia was cancelled owing to the rapid move of the enemy through Yugoslavia and the subsequent threat to Monastir. This necessitated a hurried move of the Battalion from its prepared positions westward to the Florina Gap covering the road to Monastir.

The Florina Gap — 9th to 12th April 1941

Dispositions for defence were hurriedly made under continual threat of attack. The Battalion was allotted a long frontage linking up with a Greek cavalry division on a fifty-mile front on their left and an Australian brigade and more Greek troops on their right.

The Germans, part of a Hitler S.S. division, attacked on 10th April, and for four days the Battalion withstood determined assaults with heavy shelling and mortaring and very severe weather, sleet, snow and mud indescribable. Owing to the long frontage of about 4,000 yards, no reserves were possible, and it was only by the super-human efforts of all officers and other ranks that the position was held as ordered and the planned withdrawal could start on Easter Sunday. The final German attack started at 0700 hrs. on that morning and the Battalion held on for three hours as ordered before starting the move back at 1000 hrs. The Germans lost heavily in this attack, leaving several hundred dead in front of one company.

Retreat to Thebes and Embarkation

The retreat to Thebes and the sea was one long story of mud and rain under continuous enemy air attack. The roads were terrible and blocked with refugees and traffic.

Major D. R. C. Boileau now took command, vice Lieutenant- Colonel Ashburner, who was evacuated sick. He brought the remains of the Battalion safely back to the coast, where they were eventually taken on board destroyers of the Royal Navy on the night of 28th/29th April.

The Battalion lost in Greece 1 officer killed, 3 wounded and 1 a prisoner, and 150 other ranks.

Crete - May to 2nd June 1941

It was intended that the Battalion should return to Alexandria, but only a small part of it was taken to Egypt, the remainder arriving with the Commanding Officer in Crete. On arrival on 28th April they were swept into the garrison and became engaged in the defence of Canea. They had arrived in the island with their personal weapons and little else.

Within three weeks the German attack started by dropping parachutists in large numbers and for the next ten days sporadic actions took place in and around Canea. One officer and 13 other ranks were evacuated on 1st June, the remainder who had not become casualties eventually being taken prisoner.

The 2nd of June marked the end of these short campaigns in Greece and Crete. The troops had fought against overwhelming superiority in strange and difficult country with no air support and had been involved in retreat after retreat. Finally, with few arms and little ammunition, they had fought until overwhelmed. Four officers were killed in Crete and most of the personnel in the island, including Lieutenant-Colonel Boileau, many of whom were wounded, were made prisoners. One officer and 13 other ranks escaped, as noted above, and a number, left behind, joined the Cretans who continued resistance to the end of the war.

Those who had returned to Egypt formed the cadre round which the Battalion was re-formed.

In June, 1941, Germany invaded Russia.