ANZAC Memorial

During World War II and, more specifically, during the Battle of Crete, after the German forces captured the airport of Maleme, they continued their advance, pushing the Greeks and foreign Allies towards Chania. To stop them in their tracks, a line of defence was established at the village of Tsikalaria by the weakened Australian and New Zealand Maori soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). As a German battalion was moving along the main road of Tsikalaria, the ANZAC attacked fiercely and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy, thus delaying the Germans’ advance and providing valuable time to organise the retreat of the Allies and the evacuation of the island. The battle became known as the “Battle of 42nd Street”. The street owes its name to the fact that the 42nd Royal Engineer Regiment was based in that area. In commemoration of the Battle of 42nd Street, a simple memorial erected at the site of the conflict commemorates the heroism of the Allies.