 |
| East Mudros Military Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Hellenic Navy, 2014 |
We have received a copy of the address of Her Excellency, the Ambassodor of Australia to the Helleniuc Republic, Mrs Jenny Blommfield. Her address delviered on Lemnos, at East Mudros Military Cemetery on 7th April 2014 is reproduced below:
Your Eminence Metropolitan of Lemnos and Agios
Efstratios, Regional Councillor for Lemnos, Mayor of Lemnos, Excellencies
Ambassadors of New Zealand and Canada, Chief of the Hellenic Navy General
Staff, Deputy Chief of Navy of Australia, Mr Bill Sykes, representative of the
Government of Victoria, dear veterans, dear teachers, dear students, dear
friends
No legacy is more enduring for Australians or defines
more who we are as a nation than the ANZAC legend - the Australian and New
Zealand soldiers who fought on the Gallipoli peninsula in 1915 in Australia’s
first major military campaign.
Today we remember their courage and sacrifice.
And we honour the sacrifice of all those who have
given their lives so that we may live in democracy and freedom.
We are here today to express our gratitude to the people
of Lemnos – the main support base for the Gallipoli campaign, a place for
Australian hospitals and nurses to offer refuge to the wounded soldiers weary
from battle. Here the ANZACs found the friendship, hospitality and
support of the Lemnian people. For many, Lemnos is their final resting place.
From Lemnos and Gallipoli in 1915 to the Battle of Crete
in May 1941 and around the world, Australians and Greeks have fought to uphold
our shared values with courage, with self-sacrifice, with mateship and with
compassion.
So today, to the people of Lemnos, we express our
nation’s deep appreciation.
And to all those - Australians, New Zealanders, Greeks
and all our friends – who sacrificed their lives so that we may preserve our
way of life, their courage, their selflessness, their compassion, their sense
of service and duty, inspire us to live by those ideals.
We are delighted to welcome to Lemnos students from
across Victoria who participated in the “Adopt a Digger” program and were
awarded the Premier’s “Spirit of ANZAC Prize”, and to hear from them the
stories of their “Diggers” resting here in Lemnos.
As you know, in 2015 we mark the Centenary of the
Gallipoli campaign, of which Lemnos will be key part. The centenary is a
time to reflect, to bridge any differences and to build on our common bonds.
In this spirit, we welcome the collaboration of artists in the creation of the
“Lemnos-Gallipoli Project”, an artistic work highlighting our common legacy
which will be presented in all three countries as part of centenary
commemorative events.
Dear friends, the enduring legacy of those who have
sacrificed their lives is to be brave in the face of adversity, to help one
another, to work together so that we may forge a better future for each other,
for our nation and for future generations.
Today and forever, they live in our hearts.
Lest we forget.
The following photographs have been supplied by the Hellenic Navy. To read their article in Greek on the Lemnos Anzac ceremony, click here.
The representatives of the Royal Australian Navy and Hellenic Republic Navy were also able to hold discussions in conjunction with their participation in the Lemnos Anzac service.
Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee
No comments:
Post a Comment