Crete Rearguard

Royal Marines covered the withdrawal

The previous page was: "Calais 1940"

Crete Rearguard; There is no better example of the versatility of the Royal Marines than the Fortress Units, or the Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation, more conveniently known as: M.N.B.D.O.

Their fuction was to provide the Fleet with a base in any part of the world, whether on the coast of a mainland or an island, within one-week, and to defend it when prepared. The whole unit had a strength of about 8,000, with a Major-General of Royal Marines in command.

The Group then completes its function of building wharves or converting existing jetties, making roadways from the beach, and erecting such buildings as may be necessary. The defence side of the organisation was divided into artillery groups with naval coastal guns, anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, and searchlights to co-operate with all three.

Calais 1940

Since the Organisation is also

Responsible for the general security of the base, it has a Land Defence Force consisting of rifle companies, machine-gun sections and light artillery batteries.

Their searchlight units were employed in the Battle of Britain.

One of their batteries commanded by Major C.M. Sergeant, destroyed 44 enemy aircraft in 41 days and had the record bag for any battery in England.

Unfortunately, the decision to send M.N.B.D.O. to Crete was not made in time for it to fulfil its complete function, with only the advanced groups arriving shortly before the German invasion began; only 2,200 had reached Crete.

There were about 28,000 troops on the island, most of whom had been brought back from Greece, with a few naval aircraft and RAF Hurricanes.

On 20th of May 1941, German

Airborne attacks began. The enemy was expected to attack with airborne troops from the south, then land seaborne troops in the harbour.

This appreciation of the situation proved to be correct. The Germans continued to attack persistently with airborne troops.

There are many brave deeds that were performed by the Royal Marines in the defence of Canea. Two many to be quoted here.

When a party of parachutists had secured a footing in a gun position, Captain L.A. Laxton made a determined attempt to get within grenade range, but he was wounded in the head, back and both legs.

He remained in observation and was able to signal back the grid reference of the enemy position, thereby enabling the gun position to be completely destroyed.

Marine B.V. Jones, who belonged to

One of the M.N.B.D.O.'s anti-aircraft batteries shot down a German aircraft by firing a Bren-gun from the shoulder. Later in the day he made a lone bayonet charge against seven Germans armed with sub-machine-guns, who had landed in a glider close to his gun position.

He was subsequently awarded the D.C.M. Captain Laxton received the Military Cross.

The Royal Marine Signals Company, which was bivouacking in an orange grove outside Canea, also rendered valuable service by wiring for anti-aircraft batteries working by night.

"A section of our troops went forward in two trucks to discover the enemy's position by drawing his fire; then we would go round and attack him from the flank. These melees invariably finished up with the Marines using their rifle-butts, I think they enjoyed these shows more than anything else," explained the Royal Marines Commanding Officer.

On one occasion a couple of Marines

Were discovered, who had been manning a Bofors battery. the rest of the guns crew had been killed and their Bofors ammunition was exhausted. They remained in their slit trenches which they had dug, defending their guns with their Lee Enfield rifles.

The Germans continued to drop more and more parachutists; they demolished Canea from the air. The order came for the withdrawal.

Major R. Garrett, RM formed a number of M.N.B.D.O. into a rifle battalion, which acted as the rearguard during the later stages of the evacuation. They were told to fight until dawn on the 1st of June. This they did, with such effect that they made a further two days' evacuation possible, and so helped to save 17,000 troops to fight again.

The losses of the rearguard were severe, it was not possible to take off all of the survivors. Once again, however, the Royal Marines' initiative and powers of improvisation rose to an emergency.

A Party of five officers and 134

Other ranks, including naval ratings, Australians, New Zealand and Special Service troops, and 56 Marines led by Major Garrett, put to sea in an abandoned motor landing craft.

The vessel had covered 100 miles when the petrol ran out. The Marines made a jury mast and made sails from blankets. Since the unwieldy craft had no keel, she proved so difficult to steer that relays of six men had to swim alongside and push her head in the required direction.

Although two men died on the eighth day the ingenuity of these marines probably saved the lives of their remaining comrades.

Having covered 200 miles

They landed near Sidi Barrani. Sergeant Bowen Royal Marines, after reconnoitring five miles across the desert in the darkness, made contact with an anti-aircraft regiment, he arranged for lorries to be sent the next morning.

These motor landing craft were designed to carry a maximum of 100 men. Another Royal Marines officer also landed his motor landing craft near the same place with over 60 troops on board.

It is thus thanks to the initiative of two Royal Marines officers, 260 troops and two valuable naval craft were saved from falling into the enemy's hands.

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Royal Marine rearguard stranded

Many of the Royal Marine rearguard had no opportunity to leave the island when their work was done.

Some rounded up all of the ammunition and equipment they could muster and headed for the hills to continue the fight.

There was no room for them in the boats, they did not complain, they stood on the beach, gave three cheers to those who were leaving. And cried out "God save the King."

As a point of self-respect they would have given their lives handsomely.

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