The 31st May 2002 was my 55th Birthday and I spent most of the evening in tears. Two weeks previously I had discovered the book 鈥淐rete. The Battle and the Resistance鈥 by Antony Beevor on the shelf at Wolverton library. 鈥淲hat a find鈥 I wrote in my diary. It took all my courage to take the book home to read, as my father, who died when I was 16, had not wanted to answer my questions about his war-time years, but what I did know was that he was taken prisoner by the Germans at Suda Bay, during the evacuation of Crete.
Two years later I spent my birthday in the company of the UK Crete Veterans and Friends whose Society I had joined. We were in Maleme at the end of two weeks in Crete, the first week fully booked travelling to remembrance services and celebrations, and the second week pursuing our personal interests.
In all I made three visits to Suda Bay including the Anniversary of my father鈥檚 capture. His name was Benjamin Weston Waters and at the time of his capture on the 29th May 1941 was a Lieutenant in the RNVR and had scuttled the three tank landing craft in his charge.
Earlier this year I made some display books for members of my family, so that they could share the discoveries that I had made during two years of research. The section which I shall put on this website is the story of my father鈥檚 service in the RNVR from 1940 to 1946.
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