| Place | Europe: Greece, Crete |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART92803 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 101.4 x 75.8 cm; image: 94.4 x 69.5 cm |
| Object type | Work on paper |
| Physical description | pen and black ink on card |
| Maker |
Winters, Michael |
| Place made | Australia: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra |
| Date made | 2003 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
The offering of bread from a village to an Australian soldier
Description
Corporal Frank Atkins of 2/11th Battalion, had, like the other Australian soldiers, fought in North Africa and Greece and now found himself on Crete facing a new German offensive.
As Atkins marched to Retimo, where his battalion was to defend the nearby airfield, he saw a village in the distance and decided to search there for food. On his arrival, the villagers summoned the priest, who spoke English. Atkins told him they were hungry. Although the villagers had very little themselves, they insisted Atkins take some freshly baked loaves of bread. As the bread was too hot to handle, a villager produced a plank of wood and tied the loaves to either end.