Souda Bay Commonwealth War Cemetery
The Allied War Cemetery is situated on an apron of land in a peaceful and beautiful setting, looking out over Souda Bay, just west of Souda town near Chania. It is signposted on the road that leads from Souda to the Akrotiri and airport.
Here are the graves of 1,527 Commonwealth soldiers, airmen and sailors who lost their lives on Crete during World War II. Commonwealth forces on the island numbered 32,000, of whom 18,000 were evacuated, 12,000 taken prisoner and 2,000 killed. The many unidentified graves here are commemorated on a memorial in Athens.
The gardens of the cemetery are beautifully planted and tended. It is a place for reflection and contemplation. Visitors cannot fail to be moved by the sheer number of young lives lost.