The Rabbit Hunter III: Crete: the Aftermath

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Synopsis

The Battle of Crete in May 1941 was savage and costly, and vividly described in the preceding title in the series "The Rabbit Hunter II: The Battle of Crete". The Allied forces were assailed from all sides without respite by the superbly equipped elite German Air-Landing and Mountain Divisions, and constantly harried by the omnipresent Luftwaffe. The battle itself comprised a relentless fighting retreat over 10 days, contesting the ground all the way from the island's strategic locations on the north coast to the evacuation beaches in the south, where the Royal Navy again answered the call to save the remnants of the Allied force. Inevitably, in such a battle, many of the participants were scattered and separated from their parent units. Among the survivors were many Anzac soldiers, originally evacuated from the beaches of Greece in the wake of the failed campaign there.Not all were lucky enough to arrive at the designated evacuation beaches in time to meet the Royal Navy's ships. Among those left behind is Second Lieutenant Neil Rankin of the New Zealand Division with the survivors of his platoon. The book starts where the second book finished: with Rankin standing on the evacuation beach. Instead of the tense crowds they expected to find awaiting rescue, they find themselves standing on a deserted beach in a ruined town. Rankin knows the first duty of every soldier is to escape. Adding immense pressure to this imperative are his orders that the Royal air Force's secret Air Ministry radar technicians must not fall into enemy hands "under any circumstances". To succeed with their escape, Rankin must first come to terms with military and personal failure. His efforts to lay to rest the ghosts of military disaster in two wars set the scene for a succession of increasingly difficult decisions he must make and conflicts he must resolve if he is to lead his men to safety. The climactic, thrilling sea-borne finale described in the author's trademark style for realism in war fiction reminds us hat the cost of freedom is high and always paid in bitter coin.

Cover of The Rabbit Hunter III: Crete: the Aftermath

About the Author

Christopher was born into the "lucky generation" immediately post-World War Two. Born and raised in Dunedin, New Zealand, he attended the University of Otago and obtained Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce degrees. He joined the Chartered Accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand in 1974, working in both the Dunedin and Christchurch offices. He transferred to the London office of C&L in 1980, where he met his future wife, Nicola. He has always had an interest in history generally and the Second World War in particular. The war and its aftermath had a profound effect on the world and our own lives in the 80 years following its conclusion. The generation that fought this war, which shaped and secured our futures, have almost all passed on, often taking their personal stories with them. The world has now changed enormously since the heady, care-free days of the sixties when the post-war generation grew up and discovered a freedom unprecedented in human history. Tragically, the world again seems a darker, more threatening place, and the freedoms the author's generation took for granted are threatened again..Christopher believes that the generations who inherit the mantle of civilization need to remember the sacrifices made in the past in order to have any hope of not repeating the same mistakes. While the post-war generation in New Zealand and similar countries might have had a relatively easy passage, it was not the same for everybody. On their honeymoon trip through Europe before returning to New Zealand, Christopher and Nicola travelled as far east as it was then practical to go, to Austria. He well remembers gazing into Hungary, and wondering what life was like over there. They were able to find out in the late 1990s when they took their young family to Moscow for six years in the very early days of post-Soviet reform. Over the years since the family's return from Russia, these books have been written and refined until this book is the last in the "Crete" series. As well as writing, Christopher enjoys family life (now with grandchildren) and biking and walking as well as travelling to interesting. historical places.

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