Help Needed with German Translation Please

[spencer2004]

The attached images form part of my Uncle's WW2 service record. He served in the Australian Army and died defending the Island of Crete during WW2. These two pages are in German so I am presuming he was captured after being wounded and sadly died. He is buried in in Suda Bay War Cemetery on Crete. I have shown these pages to a German colleague but she has had difficulty translating commenting that the style of writing is old and therefore difficult for her to translate.

Can anyone help please.

[apwright]

The writing at the bottom of the first image says:

am 21.5.41 verstorben Kriegsgefangen-
lager Chania auf Kreta
Grablage: 600 m  südstr. Adele/Rethymnon Olivenhain
Umgebett. a. 5.1.43 Engl. Sammelanlage Grab Nr.56
Died 21/5/41 at Chania PoW Camp on Crete.
Grave location: 600 m [along the] south road from Adele to Rethymnon [in an] olive grove.
Reinterred on 5/1/43 at the British concentration cemetery, grave No.56

The handwriting above, where you've written GOLD, is his rank Sold[at] = Private.

The other side is just administrative notes listing the units and offices that the various reports came from and where they were filed - lots of difficult abbreviations there which I don't know the meaning of.

Hope this helps!
Adrian

[spencer2004]

Thanks very much Adrian, that a great help.

Now we know exactly where he died.

Kind regards Carol.

[spencer2004]

Hello Adrian. Just wondering if you can translate the last line on the second sheet as it is written in red as is the last two lines on the first sheet which you kindly translated for me.

Thanks very much.

[carinthiangirl]

Soldat is a normal soldier.
http://maps.google.at/maps?hl=de&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:de:official&channel=s&gl=at&q=Kreta+Rethymnon+Adele&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Adele,+Arkadi,+Griechenland&gl=at&ei=YC-STLqoEMu6OMXVucMH&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAA

he died in "Kriegsgefangenenlager" = Pow-camp.
this would fit with some history:"1941-Zur selben Zeit begann die deutsche Invasion in Griechenland. Weitere britische Truppen eilten Griechenland zu Hilfe. Das alles reichte nicht und so mussten sich die Briten zurückziehen. Am 21.4.1941 kapitulierte Griechenland. Die griechische Insel Kreta musste noch besetzt werden. Trotz alliiertem Widerstand konnte auch Kreta von Deutschland eingenommen werden. Teile Griechenlands und Jugoslawiens gingen an Mussolini."
in short words - 1941 the german invasion in Greece started. british troops came to help the greek, but it did not help really and in April 1941 the british troops went away and the creeks capitulated.....
http://www.hpwt.de/2Weltk2.htm
http://orbat.com/site/history/open4/GreekGroundForcesinCreteandTheirSmallArmsrev.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crete
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/campaign_awards/cufftitles/kreta.htm
http://www.euro-t-guide.com/See_Type/WWII_1.htm
http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/greatrisk/greatrisk10.html

think you find some more links to the theme at google with"pow-camp Chania Kreta".

[spencer2004]

Thank you very much Carinthiangirl for all the links. It seems the 2/11 Battalion were deployed to defend Retimo Airfield.