Paddy's letter to the Cretans Quote from

 

( quote from http://www.illmetbymoonlight.info/paddy-s-letter-to-the-cretans.html )

 

Patrick Leigh Fermor ("Mixale")
Kardymili
Greece


To: all old friends and brothers in arms in Crete,

1.This group of Cretan and British adventurers (Chris Paul, Alun Davies, Mike Wright, John Ellis Roberts, Niko Troulakis, Tim Todd, Yannis Samatas and others) have come to Crete with the express purpose of retracing the path of the Anglo-Cretan team who captured General Kreipe in April 1944.  

2.The team will arrive by boat and land near Tsoutsouros, and will follow the same route as our small group all those years ago. On the way they will try and locate those places that we stayed, and the families of those who helped us.

3.Our original team consisted of Manoli Paterakis from Koustoyerako, George Tyrakis from Phourphouro, William Stanley Moss, and myself.  We landed on the beach near Tsoutsouro. Here we were protected by Vasili Konios, and in Skoinia (where we took shelter in Mihali’s house) by the Bourdzalis family. In Kastamonitza, we were sheltered by Kimon Zographakis, while in the mountains above the village we were grateful for the eyes and ears of the shepherd Siphoyannis, and many other Cretan patriots.

4.In Heraklion, old and new friends joined the team. Antoni Papaleonidas, originally from Asia Minor; and Grigori Chanarakis, from Thrapsano. Also Micky Akoumianakis, who lived next door to the Villa Ariadne at Knossos, and a young friend of his, Elias Athanassakis. Pavlo Zographistos gave us the shelter of his house and land at Skalani, near the Archanes road where we planned to ambush the General’s car. The andartes led by Athanasios Bourdzalis were ready, in case we needed backup during the abduction. At the last minute we also recruited Niko Komis from Thrapsano, Mitzo Tzatzas from Episkopi, and Stratis Saviolakis, a policeman from Annapolis in Sphakia. When I heard that my old friend Antoni Zoidakis from the Agios Ioannis in Amari was also in the area, I asked him to join us too.

5.How we kidnapped General Kreipe and drove him through Heraklion in his own car is a well-known story. But once the car was abandonned, our mission became increasingly dangerous. The beaches round Saktouria (from where we planned to meet the Royal Navy launch that would take the General to Egypt) were heavily guarded by Germans. Problems of communication multiplied, so messages to and from Cairo were out of date by the time they arrived. And once the alarm was raised, German patrols were looking for us everywhere. Now we needed the people of Crete more than ever, and not once did they fail us.  
6.At Anoyeia we knew the family of the brave Stephanoyanni Dramountounis. I had baptised his daughter the year before, the same year he was captured and shot by the Germans. My God brother’s family and friends, and Father Chairetis gave us food all the help they could, and provided us with swift runners. In the mountains, Kosta Kephaloyannis guided us to the cave of Mihali Xylouris and his men, where I found my God brother George Dramountounis.

7.High on the shoulders of Mount Ida we had the protection of Kapetan Petrakoyeorgis, who gave us guides. Once in the valley of the Amari, we knew we were among staunch friends who provided us with food, escort, and protection. In Pantanassa, we had help from the Hieronakis family, and in Karines, from Stravro Zourbakis and his wife, Kyria Eleni. The goat fold of Tzourbovasili at Yeni became our headquaters for three days, where we were helped by Yanni Katsias: the Germans were everywhere, and the problem of getting the General off the island was getting more difficult by the hour. We were helped by the Koutellidakis family at Yerakari, where so often we relied on the aid and counsel of Dr Alexander Kokonas;  by Mihali Pattakos, and the schoolmaster of Koxare; in Gourgouthi by the Generali and Katsendoni families. At Patsos, we were looked after by Evthymios Kharakopos. Levtheri Papayanakis from Akhtounda, and Yanni Katsias from Yeni helped us with the task of finding a beach. At Patsos we were sheltered by the Haracopos family; at Photineou, we were welcomed by Stavro Peros and his children, and several members of the Tzangarakis and Alevizakis clans. At Alones we were blessed with the friendship of Father John and his family; and at Vilandredo we were grateful to my God-brother Stathi Loukakis, and his brother Stavro. In Asi Gonia, the home of my friend and tireless messenger George Psychoundakis - who’s book The Cretan Runner describes those days so vividly - we hid in the cave of Kapetan Papadopetrakis. For the last stretch of the journey, we were escorted by the bands of Kapitan Manoli Yanna, Kapetan Andrea Kotiphis, and Kapetan Khombitis.

8. I am sure there are many other names I should mention. Manoli Paterakis calculated that in the course of our nineteen days on the run with the General, we must have met or come across about 400 people. Many more, he thought, knew where we were at any time. Yet no one gave the enemy any hint of our position, and  General Kreipe was safely evacuated to Egypt on the night of 14 May 1944.

9.Yet I cannot forget that the General’s abduction was just one operation, during five long years of occupation and resistance. There are so many Cretans who put their lives at risk to help us. Among the many who sheltered and guided Allied servicemen to safety were Abbot Agathengelos of the Holy Monastery of St John of Preveli; Stamati Stavroulakis at Kali-Sykia; George Robolas of Prine; Col. Andrea Papadakis, of Vourvoure; and the heroic families of Nico and Antoni Vandoulakis, of Vaphe. My wireless operator Apostolos Evangelou, and Andrea Polentas of Vrysses, were among the many patriots who were captured, tortured and shot in Ayia jail, without giving anything away.
      * * * * *
10. In retracing our steps, the team you will meet hope to visit Mihali's house and the Boudzalis clan in in Skoinia, the family of Kimon Zographakis in Kastamonitza, Siphoyannis' cave above Kastamonitza, the lofts of houses in Kharasso and Pavlo Zographistos' cottage and cave outside Skalani. They will then drive from the abduction point near to Archanes, through Heraklion and the Canea Gate and onto the old Retimo road. They will try to trace our route across the mountains of Crete - the stronghold of Anogia, Mihali Xylouris's cave on the foothills of Mount Ida, over Mount Ida itself and down to Aya Paraskevi, the sheepfold high above Yerakari, the stone hut outside Patsos, the trees outside the hamlet of Karines where we drank raki with Stavros Zourbakis and his wife Kiria Eleni, the grove of Scholari outside Fotinou, the cave outside Villandredo where Stathi Loukakis and his brother Stavro hid us, and ending with the long walk over the Kryoneritis mountains to the beach at Rhodakino where we were finally picked up.  

11.As I had the great honour, and fortune, to command the Kreipe Operation in April 1944, those who wish to follow our footsteps wrote to ask my advice. I have told them to do as we did, so long ago: put your trust in the inhabitants of Crete. They will show you the way and advise and help you, as their grandparents helped us.

12. I wish I were coming too, for I am the last member of that small party still alive. Elias Athanassakis died two years ago. I turned 93 in February of this year. But I am sure that these adventurers will find the descendents of our parea, and the inhabitants of the villages and the sheepfolds just as welcoming and helpful and full of spirit as their predecessors sixty years ago! I know that they are in touch with you all, and I am very envious of the marvellous journey that lies ahead of them.

Patrick Leigh Fermor

 


Several treks to Crete, in the In the Footsteps of Heroes series, were supported by Paddy himself. Part of his support was in the form of a Letter of Introduction, in Greek, for us to show the local people who may have wondered what on earth this collection of individuals were up to. It was, as you might imagine,  like producing a magic wand and fortunately we had enough copies to leave one or two with those who helped us along the way.
Below are transcriptions of the letter in both Greek and English, which we were vgiven, along with his own maps and his manuscript 'Abducting a General' in 2005. We were fortunate, honoured and unique in having such support. This material support was backed up, on a number of occasions, by telephone calls to Paddy to check on various matters.

Patrick Leigh Fermor ("Mixale")
Kardymili
Greece