Scores of old soldiers have been honoured at a reception organised by the Leicester Mercury.

Captain Nikolaos Louloudis, the Greek defence attaché, Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire Timothy Brooks, and Mercury editor Nick Carter were among those who paid tribute to Second World War veterans who fought to save the island of Crete.

The Grand Hotel reception was organised by the Mercury after a campaign to secure the Greek Commemorative Medal and Diploma for 67 veterans from Leicestershire and Rutland.

The campaign medal had been promised by the Greek government following the war.

But it was nearly 60 years before the ex-soldiers received them, in October and November last year, after a Mercury campaign.

The veterans from Leicestershire and Rutland were among 42,000 stationed on Crete, an island Hitler saw as having tremendous strategic importance.

But they were overwhelmed by air attacks and enemy ground troops as waves of reinforcements were brought in to secure the island for the Germans.

They were evacuated after little more than a week, to the safety of Egypt, and 4,000 men from both sides were killed during the battles that raged in the land and sea battles around Crete.

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