The Battle of Thermopylae during World War II occurred in 1941 following the retreat from the Olympus and Servia passes. British Commonwealth forces began to set up defensive position at the historic pass at Thermopylae. (Thermopylae is famous for the Battle of Thermopylae under King Leonidas who fought with 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians to the death against a gigantic Persian army in 480 BC.) General Bernard Freyberg was given the task of defen...
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The Battle of Thermopylae during World War II occurred in 1941 following the retreat from the Olympus and Servia passes. British Commonwealth forces began to set up defensive position at the historic pass at Thermopylae. (Thermopylae is famous for the Battle of Thermopylae under King Leonidas who fought with 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians to the death against a gigantic Persian army in 480 BC.) General Bernard Freyberg was given the task of defending the coastal pass with Mackay defending the village of Brallos. In the New Zealand sector, the 5th Brigade was deployed along the coastal road, the foothills south of Lamia, and the Spercheios River. The 4th Brigade was on the right where it had established coast-watching patrols, and the 6th was in reserve. In the Australian sector, the 19th Brigade, comprising the 2/4th and 2/8th Battalions, defended Brallos. On 19 April the 2/1st and 2/5th Battalions were placed under the command of Maj Gen George Vasey, and that day and during the...
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