Crete, 1 June, 1941: Overwhelming German airborne forces overrun the
gallant Allied OF THE resistance defending the Greek island of Crete
in the World War II Battle for Crete. They capture 5000 hungry and
abandoned Allied troops, attempting an evacuation to Egypt. ’Arty’
Dawson, an Aussie Sapper in the Royal Engineers, Sixth Division, finds
himself an unwilling POW.
This gripping true story traces Arty’s two breathtaking escape attempts
in Greece and his successful final escape to American lines, from deep
inside Europe, as German soldiers flee the advancing Russian Front in the
closing stages of the Third Reich.
Arty’s survival is largely due to luck, combined with the cooperation
of his comrades, as well as unexpected and significant help from the
Red Cross and the heartfelt forces of family love. Importantly, Arty, a
quintessential Aussie bloke, raised in the Great Depression years, finds
secret love to keep his spirits alive during the darkest of times.