German Paratroopers Landing near the Field Hospital, Galatas, Crete, 20 May 1941 captures the dramatic opening hours of the Battle of Crete, when German forces launched the first large-scale airborne invasion in history. From a position near a New Zealand field hospital, McIntyre witnessed parachutes filling the Cretan sky as fighting erupted among the olive groves below. His firsthand account remains one of the most vivid artistic records of the campaign. 

More than a historical document, the drawing reflects the extraordinary experience of the New Zealand soldiers who served in Crete, and McIntyre’s unique ability to translate moments of conflict into enduring visual testimony.