The land belongs to my great grandfather Μανωλης Κιννας, in 1948 the Greek state decided to give this land to the English Commonwealth in order to make this memorial, he along with a few others carried the bodies of soldiers from all over crete on donkeys and carts and burried them there.
Your G.Grandfather was an honourable man, indeed. Much as some of the elderly people in Crete remember the Kiwis they helped and sheltered, we in New Zealand remember stories of their kindness and hold the Cretan people in high esteem. I spent a day at the cemetery in Souda a year ago. I walked along all the rows of NZ men, saying each name aloud in case they had no-one left to say their name again. Thank you, Nikola. Your family showed love for people a long way from their homes.( I did the same along the rows of Australian men.)
My nan's brother buried there, it pained her very much that she never went to visit him. So my mother's sisters daughter who was working in London at the time went to Crete to visit our grand uncle and took a sketch of his headstone and bought it home a year before our Nan died. A very emotional time watching her clutch that paper like her life depended on it and kissing his name. We buried the sketch with her...
The Soft Green Grass By David Law A few years ago, my wife Val and I were holidaying on the island of Crete. We made a point of driving to an idyllic spot where the sun glistened on the sea as it gently lapped against the shore. There were however no rows of sun-beds or parasols to be seen. Instead, the rows were of stark white headstones, uniform in size and shape standing proudly in the sun as befitted the men they marked. This was the Commonwealth War Cemetery of Suda Bay. As we walked on the neatly trimmed grass between the rows of headstones, each with a small flowering plant at its base and reading the names and ages of young men that we could never have known, we were deeply moved. I realised that but for a quirk of time in which I was born just one generation after these men, that the name on one of the stones could have been mine. I knew that I would be flying home in a few days, but felt helpless that I nor anyone else in this world could help them safely home. All I can now do is to offer the following words for just one of them whoever he may have been, in the hope that it will prompt some reader to remember the debt that we owe those young men who lie forever in that sunlit bay. The Soft Green Grass His life began one summer day, when a young man and his lass, Beneath blue skies, they chose to lay, upon the soft green grass. As days and weeks turned into months, two years came to pass. The child they made took his first steps on that same soft green grass.
As schooldays came, the boy fared well, and reached top of his class. At sport excelled and ran with joy upon the soft green grass. But in his youth, a war was caused by politicians: crass. They sent him forth to fight for us on foreign soft green grass. And fight he did, tried not to sink in battle’s grim morass. And prayed that he would walk again on England’s soft green grass. But fate was cruel that awful day. With steel as sharp as glass, They cut him down, no more to rise from bloodied soft green grass. When peace returned they brought him here and many more, alas. They fired salutes and beat their drums and said a solemn Mass. But now on carefree holiday, his gravestone I did pass. I read his name and tender years, as I stood on soft green grass. Now I’m safely home again, my life’s years to amass. I cry to think I’ve left him there, beneath the soft green grass.
![SUDA BAY Allied War Cemetery in CHANIA CRETE | WWI & WW2 GREECE [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/szN-gdQzlvE/mqdefault.jpg)
![SUDA BAY Allied War Cemetery in CHANIA CRETE | WWI & WW2 GREECE [4K]](/img/tr.png)
The land belongs to my great grandfather Μανωλης Κιννας, in 1948 the Greek state decided to give this land to the English Commonwealth in order to make this memorial, he along with a few others carried the bodies of soldiers from all over crete on donkeys and carts and burried them there.
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Your G.Grandfather was an honourable man, indeed. Much as some of the elderly people in Crete remember the Kiwis they helped and sheltered, we in New Zealand remember stories of their kindness and hold the Cretan people in high esteem. I spent a day at the cemetery in Souda a year ago. I walked along all the rows of NZ men, saying each name aloud in case they had no-one left to say their name again. Thank you, Nikola. Your family showed love for people a long way from their homes.( I did the same along the rows of Australian men.)
My nan's brother buried there, it pained her very much that she never went to visit him. So my mother's sisters daughter who was working in London at the time went to Crete to visit our grand uncle and took a sketch of his headstone and bought it home a year before our Nan died. A very emotional time watching her clutch that paper like her life depended on it and kissing his name. We buried the sketch with her...
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The quality of your footage was amazing... beautiful memorial cemetary
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Somber and beautiful place. Thank you for sharing!
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We were there in 2007. Still in our memory. So many young lives lost.
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Great video dear friend!
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The Soft Green Grass By David Law
A few years ago, my wife Val and I were holidaying on the island of
Crete. We made a point of driving to an idyllic spot where the sun
glistened on the sea as it gently lapped against the shore. There
were however no rows of sun-beds or parasols to be seen. Instead, the
rows were of stark white headstones, uniform in size and shape
standing proudly in the sun as befitted the men they marked. This was
the Commonwealth War Cemetery of Suda Bay.
As we walked on the neatly trimmed grass between the rows of headstones,
each with a small flowering plant at its base and reading the names
and ages of young men that we could never have known, we were deeply
moved.
I realised that but for a quirk of time in which I was born just one
generation after these men, that the name on one of the stones could
have been mine. I knew that I would be flying home in a few days, but
felt helpless that I nor anyone else in this world could help them
safely home.
All I can now do is to offer the following words for just one of them
whoever he may have been, in the hope that it will prompt some reader
to remember the debt that we owe those young men who lie forever in
that sunlit bay.
The Soft Green Grass
His life began one summer day, when a young man and his lass,
Beneath
blue skies, they chose to lay, upon the soft green grass.
As days and weeks turned into months, two years came to pass.
The child they made took his first steps on that same soft green grass.
As schooldays came, the boy fared well, and reached top of his class.
At sport excelled and ran with joy upon the soft green grass.
But in his youth, a war was caused by politicians: crass.
They sent him forth to fight for us on foreign soft green grass.
And fight he did, tried not to sink in battle’s grim morass.
And prayed that he would walk again on England’s soft green grass.
But fate was cruel that awful day. With steel as sharp as glass,
They cut him down, no more to rise from bloodied soft green grass.
When peace returned they brought him here and many more, alas.
They fired salutes and beat their drums and said a solemn Mass.
But now on carefree holiday, his gravestone I did pass.
I
read his name and tender years, as I stood on soft green grass.
Now I’m safely home again, my life’s years to amass.
I cry to think I’ve left him there, beneath the soft green grass.
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Excellent !! I really liked it !!
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What a very beautiful place to put a cemetery. Soldiers have a great place of rest!
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good footage of Crete Greece
Thx
Very respectively done .
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4 LIKE. Beautiful place. Check out the new video friend Thank you
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Onore a tutti i soldati che morirono a creta sia inglesi che tedeschi
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Again ..Pull the shitty music and be respectful.
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