Pocket Orbat Crete – Allied Land Forces

Allied Land forces – Pocket Orbat Crete

Commonwealth & Allied Forces, Crete – “Creforce”

HQ Creforce – (Eastern Zone, east of Chania) – Major-General Bernard Freyberg, VC, Colonel Stewart[1]

Comd/Signals (C3,Reg,Lad), Log (L3,Reg,Ld)

• C Squadron, 3rd The King’s Own Hussars Major G.W.Peck, (10 Light Tank Mk VIs)

• B Squadron, 7th Royal Tank Regiment Lieutenant George Simpson, (2 Matilda tanks, crewed in part by 2 officers + 5 gunners of the 2/3rd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (RAA). Matilda Mk II (S1,Mil,MaHd) or Mk VI (S1,Reg,Lad)

• 1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment Lt Col A. Duncan, MC (Force Reserve) –Rifle (S1,Reg,Lad)

HQ New Zealand Division – Brig, Acting Maj Gen[1] Edward Puttick – (Western Zone, west of Chania)

Comd/Signals (C3,Reg,Lad), Log (L3,Reg,Ld)

• 27th New Zealand Machine Gun Battalion (Lt. Col. FJ Gwilliam) MMG (S1,Reg,Lad)

• 5th New Zealand Field Artillery Regiment 25pdr + Quad FAT (S3, Vet,MaLd)

• 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Brig. Lindsay Inglis) between Chania and Galatas

  • 18th New Zealand Infantry Battalion Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)

  • 19th New Zealand Infantry Battalion 

  • 20th New Zealand Infantry Battalion 

  • 1st Light Troop, RA 

• 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Brig. James Hargest) (Maleme and Platanias) Comd/Signals (C1,Reg,Lad)

  • 21st New Zealand Infantry Battalion Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)

  • 22nd New Zealand Infantry Battalion 

  • 23rd New Zealand Infantry Battalion 

  • 28th (Maori) Infantry Battalion 

  • 7th Field Company New Zealand Engineers Engineer (E2, Reg,MaLd)

  • 19th Army Field Corps Company

  • New Zealand Field Punishment Centre (FPC)[2] Prisoners were released to fight the enemy. Rifle (S3,Mil,Lad)

  • 1st Greek Regiment (1,030 Officers and men), (Col. IP Papadimitropoulos) Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)

  • Evelpidon Officers’ Academy (17 Officers, 300 Cadets), (Lt. Col. Loukas Kitsos) Rifle (F1,Mil,Lad)

• 10th New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Lt. Col. Howard Kippenberger) (Galatas) Comd/Signals (C3,Reg,Lad),
  

  • New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Rifle (S1,Reg,Lad)

  • New Zealand Composite Battalion (700 rifles). General Weston named this force the “Royal Perivolians”[3] after they were supposedly involved in rescuing the King of Greece. Rifle (S1,Reg,Lad)

  • 6th Greek Regiment (1,389 Officers and men), (Lt. Col. M Grigoriou)  Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)

  • 8th Greek Regiment (840 Officers and men), (Lt. Col. Pan Karkoulas) Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)

14th Infantry Brigade

• HQ 14th Infantry Brigade – Brig. Brian Herbert Chappel – (Heraklion) Comd/Signals (C1,Reg,Lad)

• • 2nd Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (Lt. Col. CHV Cox, DSO, MC) (637 Officers and men) Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)

  • 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (Lt. Col. A Gilroy) (742 Officers and men) 

  • 2nd Battalion, Black Watch (Major AA Pitcairn in temporary command[a][b]) (867 Officers and men) 

  • 2/4th Australian Infantry Battalion (Lt. Col. Ivan Noel Dougherty)[c] (550 Officers and men) 

  • 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Lieut. Col. RCB Anderson, DSO, MC Tymbaki Sector) Rifle (S1,Reg,Lad)

  • 7th Medium Regiment, RA (Maj. R.J.B. Snook, DSO (wounded – 20 May 1941). No artillery equipment – armed as infantry. (450 Officers and men) Rifle (S1,Mil,Lad)

  • 3rd Greek Regiment (656 Officers and men), (Lt. Col Ant Betinakis)  Rifle (S2,Reg,Lad)

  • 7th Greek Regiment (877 Officers and men), (Col. E Cheretis) Rifle (S2,Reg,Lad)

  • Greek Garrison Battalion (ex-Greek 5th “Crete” Division, left behind as a garrison when their division was summoned to defend the mainland; 830 Officers and men) Rifle (S2,Reg,Lad)

19th Australian Infantry Brigade

Headquarters 19th Australian Infantry Brigade – Brig. George Vasey – Georgioupolis
(Lt. Col. IR Campbell commanding at Rethymnon) Comd/Signals (C1,Reg,Lad), Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)

• 4th Greek Regiment, Col. M Trifon (S3,Reg,Lad)
• 5th Greek Regiment, Lt. Col. I Servos (S3,Reg,Lad)
• Gendarmerie Privates School, Col. Iak Chaniotis Rifle (F3,Mil,Lad)

Mobile Base Defence Organization

Headquarters Mobile Base Defence Organization – Maj.-Gen. CE Weston-Souda Bay Comd/Signals (C3,Reg,Ld), Log (L3,Reg,Ld)

• 15th Coast Regiment, RA[4]

• “S” Royal Marine Composite Battalion, Maj. R Garrett (Royal Marines) Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)

• 1st Battalion, The Rangers, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps – (later designated 9th Battalion, The King’s Royal Rifle Corps (The Rangers)) [5] 

• 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery – no equipment, used as infantry[6][7] 

• 106th (Lancashire Hussars) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery[8] – Lt. Col. AF Hely +

  • 2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Marines 3.7″ AA + Matador FAT  or 40mm bofors + Morris FAT  (S2,Vet,MaLd)

• 16th and  17th Australian Brigade Composite Battalions – 350 officers and men Formed from the under strength 2/2nd, 2/3rd, 2/5th, and 2/6th Australian Inf Bns Rifle (S1,Reg,Lad)

• 2nd Greek Regiment – 930 Officers and Men Rifle (S3,Reg,Lad)