The Invasion of Crete, 20. May 1941 - dramatic pictures

[Fritz]

 

Main participants were Gebirgsjäger and Fallschirmjäger. Many were shot in their parachutes before they could land, or trapped in burning transport planes, the losses were immense, many have no known grave, was it worth it in the end?

 

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

--

Allied plan of evacuation of Crete

[Fritz]

--

The aftermath, in later years, Gerhard Kühnemund at the German War Cemetery at Maleme, Crete
auf dem Soldatenfriedhof von Maleme auf Kreta +++

[Fritz]

[Buster]

Very interesting photographs Fritz, even though sad to see so many young soldier cut down! It's never worth it.

[Fritz]

 

This is regulated by §21 of Vereinsrecht, BGB Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, as a Verein without financial goals.

The Volksbund Deutscher Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. is a registered association on a national basis and does not recieve any support from the state, although it does recieve some funds from the state on an annual basis, it mainly relies on donations from the public, which are diminishing with the interest over the years. It was first founded 1919/20 on a private initiative. The e.V. stands for eingetragener Verein (registered association).

Some recent bulletins and brochures, with topics such as reflexion on the Great War 100 years ago, war dead individual biographies, and an article on increasing vandalism and plundering of German War cemeteries in Europe and elsewhere, and recently in Macedonia, which is thought to be politically motivated. This is particulary bitter as the installations had only recently been completed.