Forced labour

As soon as the Germans fell on 31^st May 1941, I walked to Heraklion from Kato Poulies to start work. The Germans had issued orders in the villages, telling all plumbers and electricians like me to return to Heraklion and repair the damage, to get the town running again.

The Germans needed the electric power and water that had been cut off. I worked as a foreman in a gang of 25 people. At the time we only had primitive means to repair the damages, using belts, sandals and crowbars to dig holes.

In the early days the Germans would give us thirty loaves of black bread, sugar and coffee...