Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee Inc: Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train Honoured

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Our Committee is raising funds to create a lasting legacy telling the story of Lemnos' link to Gallipoli and Australia's Anzac story. Our projects include the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial in Albert Park, the publication of a major new historical and pictorial publication and more. To make a donation you can also deposit directly by direct debit into the Committee's bank account: Account Name: Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee Inc; Bank: Bendigo Bank; Account No: 188010037; BSB No: 633000; Include your surname in the reference section. For further information on our legacy projects or to make a donation please contact either Lee Tarlamis 0411553009 or Jim Claven 0409402388M

Monday, 26 February 2018

Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train Honoured - Satuday 24th February 2018

Photo Jim Claven 2018

As announced earlier, the service of the Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train (RANBT) was honoured in the gardens of the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne last Saturday morning, 24th February 2018. I attended the event, along with Committee Vice-President, Ms Christina Despoteris.

Photo Jim Claven 2018

The service featured the laying of a new commemorative plaque at the foot of the tree dedication to the RANBT (Memorial Tree B68). The gathering included representatives of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), led by Captain Tim Standen, CSC, RAN, Commanding Officer of HMS Cerberus. The RAN also provider the bugler for the event.
It was great to be able to meet the grand-daughter of the commander of the RANBT, Ms Mary-Anne Gourley.

Our Vice=President Christina Despoteris talks with Mary-Anne Gourley. Photo Jim Claven 2018

Her grand-father Lieutenant Commander Lieghton Bracegirdle, DSO and Three Mentioned-in-Despatches (MiD), commanded the unit from its formation and throughout the Gallipoli campaign. As recounted earlier, the unit served on Lemnos in 1915. It was the most decorated unit of the RAN in WW1, with 16 sailors being Mentioned-in-Despatches (MiD.
A short history of the unit written by Dr John Carroll is contained within the event booklet attached below.

Photo Jim Claven 2018

We also met David Dwyer, the Hon Sec of the HMAS Sydney and Vietnam Logistics Support Veteran's Association, who helped organise the event.
It was a great opportunity to both take part in this important event and connect with descendants of service personnel and supporters of the RANBT. We took the opportunity to explain our Committee and our Memorial at Lemnos Square, Albert Park. We extended an invitation to this organisation to attend our event in August.
This was an important event in enabling our Committee to connect with one of the many service associations connected to Lemnos and Gallipoli.
For all those Committee members and supporters unable to attend the service, please find below scans of the event booklet.

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee