The German paratroopers began to arrive on Crete on May 20. Most of the first arrivals were shot as they descended or before they could remove their harness after landing. But they kept coming. They secured an airfield and began landing troops and supplies by plane. The defenders of Crete were rested after evacuating the Greek mainland but had no air cover and were short of everything. Incessant Luftwaffe attack from the mainland soon removed any advantage of their rest time.
After a few days of heavy casualties, German forces were getting the upper hand. the only thing that might change the course of the battle was an attack. Night-time was chosen for it, to remove trhe enemy's aerial advantage. The Official History of the 23rd Battalion describes it - and mentions the last minutes of the life of Private David Seaton:
Lieutenant Cunningham: ‘The uproar of yells accompanying the attack was sufficient to make the enemy in front of A Company withdraw off the ridge. Above the noise, Rex King could be heard roaring like a bull as he led his men forward.’ ‘Hook forwards, hook!’ was King's main battle cry, say others.
Lieutenant Thomas: ‘… suddenly…. I found myself shouting to my men and we were away…. And then it happened. I don't know who started it, but, as the tanks disappeared as a cloud of dust and smoke into the first buildings of the village, the whole line seemed to break spontaneously into the most blood curdling of shouts and battle cries…. the effect was terrific — one felt one's blood rising swiftly above fear and uncertainty until only an inexplicable exhilaration quite beyond description surpassed all else, and we moved as one man into the outskirts…. By the time we entered the narrow streets, every man was firing his weapon to the front or in the air and every man, you could feel it, was flushed with confidence. Nothing could stop us.’
Lieutenant Connolly: ‘I was on top of the world that night yelling and shouting like old Orb does on parade or in the mess’.
The fierce battle cry had its effect: it startled the enemy and impressed New Zealanders of other units. Thus Colonel Gray, commanding officer of the 18th, wrote in a private letter: ‘I shall never forget the deep throated wild beast noise of the yelling charging men as the 23rd swept up the road. There was a hell of a battle in the village.’ Private Adams of the 18th's ‘I’ section recorded how he was too late to join in the attack but how, ‘'Twas quite dark now and suddenly from Galatas 400 yards away we heard the most ungodly row I have ever heard — our chaps charging and yelling and screaming to put the wind up them, cat calls and battle cries, machine guns, rifles, hand grenades all going at once.’ Ferry, the volunteer gunner in one of the tanks, said: ‘The howling and shouting of the infantry sounded like the baying of dogs … as it rose and fell, it made my flesh creep.’
The tanks in the lead fired their guns at the slightest sign of the enemy, who shot up flares, called for mortar fire, most of which fell harmlessly in the rear of the attackers, hurled stick bombs and grenades, and fired all their small arms at the advancing New Zealanders. One tank had a track blown, Lieutenant Farran was wounded, and the other tank temporarily retreated but was turned back into the village by Thomas and his men as they surged forward. Streams of tracer bullets came from the windows and from behind low stone walls. They were ill-aimed but caused casualties nonetheless.
On the right, the C Company men cleared the first few houses one by one but, finding more Greek women and children than Germans in some, they pressed on. Well supported by Sergeant Templeton, Corporals Thompson and Irwin, Privates Diamond and Bellamy and several others, Thomas led his platoon up to the knocked-out tank, clearing the enemy with bayonet and bullet as they went. Here they halted, reloaded and, under some cover from the Spandau bullets coming from across the square, gathered themselves for a last charge. But Thomas can tell his own story:
Victory was assured, despite the last-ditch stand of a group of diehards. Thomas himself was wounded shortly afterwards — hit by a bullet in the leg and by a grenade in the back. Lieutenant King, whose experiences in the advance were somewhat similar, was also wounded, as was Captain Harvey. But, without officers, the men of C Company hastened on to make an end to the job which had been so successfully begun. Private Gallagher made a solo charge and cleared one strongpoint singlehanded. Sergeant Hulme and Private Dunn cleared another. Sergeant Dutton and Private Joyce led the way in a rush which took some 13 Platoon men in and through a large stone building which held up progress for a few minutes. Everywhere the fighting was bitter and no quarter was given on either side. ‘From one building we got 11 machine guns,’ wrote Gallagher later, ‘it was like a butcher's shop inside — some grenades had been popped in the windows.’ Soon they came out on the side of the village opposite that on which they had entered. There were about thirty of the men who had gone in with C Company left standing.
Entering from another angle, D Company had its measure of success. The leading platoon, No. 18, under Lieutenant Cunningham, took the hardest way of entering Galatas by going over walls and through backyards, but this was sound tactics as it enabled some heavy machine-gun posts to be outflanked or overrun. When they did find themselves forced to charge up a narrow street, a machine gun held up the attack for a minute or two until Private David Seaton broke the spell by striding forward firing his Bren gun from the hip. While he kept up steady bursts, others edged round to a flank and knocked out the machine gun with grenades. Seaton was killed but the attack surged on again.
FOR THE EMPIRE'S CAUSE
PRIVATE DAVID ERWIN SEATON
Private David Erwin Seaton, who gave his life for his country in Crete, was born at Portobello 34 years ago. He was the second youngest son of Mr and Mrs I. R. Seaton, very old and respected residents of Portobello. He spent his school days at Portobello, and went on to the Dunedin Technical School. He became apprenticed to Messrs Turnbull and Jones, electrical engineers, Dunedin, his apprenticeship ending in the slump period, during which he failed to secure electrical work, and came to North Otago to follow farm work. Eventually, he became associated with Mr R. Pirie, millowner, of Deborah, managing one of his mills. When war broke out Private Seaton was among the earliest to enlist, and left with the Second Echelon. He was very popular, and will long be remembered by many friends. He was a brother of Mrs W. G. Smith, Alma. -Otago Daily Times, 20/6/1941.
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