Brush To Battlefield: 1941 The Battle for Crete – Ronald Suter’s War
In a previous blog, we followed Ronald Suter — a sapper from Tasmania, (grandfather to one of our clients close friends) — through the siege lines of Tobruk, where he served with the 2/1 Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers. But his war didn’t end there.
Service files of Ronald Suter. This man had quite the story.
Just weeks later, Ronald and his unit were deployed across the sea to Greece, before evacuating to Crete, stepping into one of the most dramatic and tragic campaigns of the Second World War. This is the story of what happened next — a story of demolitions, desperation, and survival under the Mediterranean sun. Fittingly I am travelling in Chania, Crete so I have taken the opportunity to walk the ground and see what I can find.
In April 1941, following the collapse of Allied lines in Greece, elements of the Australian 6th Division were evacuated to the island of Crete. Among them was Ronald Suter (TX566) and the men of the 2/1 Field Company RAE — battle-hardened engineers now tasked with helping to prepare the island’s defences.
The terrain of Crete shaped the battle as much as the armies did. Rugged hills, olive groves, dry riverbeds, and narrow mountain passes defined the landscape. The warm Mediterranean climate favoured defenders, especially experienced Anzacs used to harsh conditions. But the British and Commonwealth troops were severely under-equipped — many lacked heavy weapons, and wireless radio sets were in short supply. Communications between sectors were often reliant on vulnerable field telephones strung across miles of exposed terrain, making coordination difficult as the German assault unfolded across multiple fronts. What could have been a strong natural fortress became, instead, a fractured defence.
As such, Crete was a crucial Allied outpost, but woefully underprepared. With limited artillery, no air cover, and thin supply lines, the defenders relied on improvisation and courage.
British Forces in Crete
Engineers like Suter were key. They:
Demolished roads and bridges to delay airborne landings
Constructed defences around airfields and key junctions
Laid booby traps and obstacles to slow German movement
The 2/1 Field Company operated in the western sector of the island, directly involved in the defence of Chania — the nerve centre of the Allied command.
Small WW2 Museum, tucked away in the hills West of Chania
On 20 May 1941, the German Fallschirmjäger began their massive airborne assault. Paratroopers rained from the skies over Maleme and Chania, and fierce fighting erupted in the surrounding olive groves, hills, and villages like Galatas and Alikianou.
This bunker was cut out following the German occupation of the island 1941
Suter and his fellow sappers, trained to build and blow things up, suddenly found themselves fighting as infantry — defending positions, engaging in house-to-house skirmishes, and aiding wounded comrades under fire.
Despite fierce resistance, the Germans seized Maleme airfield and poured in reinforcements. By 27 May, Allied command ordered a withdrawal through the mountains toward the evacuation beaches at Sfakia.
Ronald was among those who survived the retreat and evacuation, escaping aboard Royal Navy ships under constant air attack. Many others weren’t so lucky.
What makes Ronald’s story so remarkable is that Crete wasn’t the end.
After the battle, he was posted to Syria as part of occupation forces
In 1942, he returned to Australia to face the Japanese threat in the Pacific
Deployed to New Guinea, he battled malaria and served in support roles through 1943
He rose to the rank of Sergeant, was hospitalised but survived the war, and was discharged in October 1945
Ronald Suter’s war spanned continents. He saw deserts, mountains, and jungles — fought paratroopers in small villages and helped hold the line in two hemispheres. His quiet, disciplined service would be lost to time if not for his records, choosing to follow his footsteps, and the simple act of remembrance.
Lest We Forget
Allied Cemetery, Souda Bay, Crete.
Standing today among the white headstones of the Souda Bay War Cemetery, it’s impossible not to wonder if Ronald Suter once fought beside some of these men, or even knew them personally. Many graves belong to fellow Australians — infantry, sappers, and engineers — from the same 6th Division that held the line at Chania. Ronald’s unit, worked under fire to build the defences these men bled defending. Their names may be carved in stone, but for Ronald, they were comrades — men he likely marched, built, and fought with during those desperate days on Crete.
At No Man’s Land Studio, we believe miniature painting can be a form of storytelling - we consider ourselves to be historians with a brush! And what a fine way to honour forgotten chapters and ordinary men who did extraordinary things.
Ronald Suter’s journey — from Tobruk to Chania, from a young Tasmanian recruit to a seasoned veteran — is one of them.
If you’ve got stories like his in your family, or want to recreate campaigns like Crete on the tabletop, we’d love to hear from you.
Read about Ronald’s story in Torbruk here
