Description

“1941 (Apr 2) Printed airmail envelope with several faults to Grafton, N.S.W. & forwarded to Sydney bearing Platypus 9d tied 1st BGE HQ P.O. / M1 cds that was lost together with other equipment during the allied retreat or evacuation with Grafton (26 Apr) transit cds & violet square double framed PASSED BY UNIT CENSOR /224 (Daynes A 300) hand stamp & on reverse manuscript Writing to-morrow…..Mail from allied forces during 1941 Greek campaign is very scarce 1st BGE HQ M1 Proud records for 16 days only 31 Mar – 15 Apr 41. Italy on 28 Oct 40 invades from Albania, Greeks push them back. 6 Apr 41 Germans intervene & invade Yugoslavia & Greece crossing the Yugoslav-Greek border on 10 Apr & broke through the Commonwealth/Greek defences in Kleidi area on 12 Apr & pushed South with the Allies on the defensive retreating but Germans enter Athens on 27 Apr…An evacuation of Allied forces many to Crete commences 24 Apr. See; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Greece_during_World_War_II & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_Division_(Australia) & http://clik.dva.gov.au/history-library/part-3-order-battle/ch-1-order-battle-army/s-1-6th-australian-division “