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| The three ambassadors of Anzac with the major of Limnos Mr. Antonis Hadjidiamantis on the right. Photo Vassilis Triantafyllidis April 2014 |
Athenian journalist
Vassilis Triantafyllidis has posted a report on the recent Anzac Service on Lemnos. He writes:
The annual Anzac Day commemoration of the fallen
Australians, New Zealand and Canadian soldiers and nurses, commenced on Lemnos
island, Greece, East Mudros commonwealth military cemetery.
April 4, 2014 -for more images of the CWGC cemeteries on
Lemnos island, please refer to my other photostories on my profile. Thank you.
Early in the morning men of the Hellenic military helped
officiate with the ceremony by setting up, the fallen soldier helmets,
accompanied by 3 riffles and filled with incents.
Before the ceremony, the CWGC's gardening supervisor Mr.
Paraskevas Tsoulos, taking care of the graves while the florist arrived with
the wreaths. Memorial services started at 12:00 after his arrival of His
Eminence, The Archibishop of Lemnos, Ierotheos.
The Ambassador of Australian Embassy to Greece Ms. Jenny
Polyxeni Bloomfield, were accompanied by other officials by the AUS.
government, i.e. The Australian representatives of the Premier and Cabinet,
Veterans affairs officer Ms. Patricia Pollard, honourable Bill Sykes Victorian
MP and tour leader and military officials i.e. Rear Admiral Michael van Balen
of the Royal Australian Navy.
Also were in attendance, a group of students from a
Vicroria AUS. school who won the annual "Premier's Spirit of Anzac
Prize" commemoration and education competition. From all across the State
of Victoria, 12 students were selected from nearly 500 entries, to receive the
Prize of a study tour to Gallipoli,and the Western Front and this year, for the first time, to Lemnos, Greece !
The students at the Anzac Day ceremony at East Mudros,
come from the capital city, Melbourne, and from large and small Victorian
towns, much like the Anzacs themselves, determined that the sacrifice and
service of their ancestors is understood and remembered. Anzac Day in Australia
is a national day of commemoration, with ceremonies held in every Australian
town and city.
Australian, New Zealand and Canadian officials also spoke
of the courage and self defiance of the young men, from those Nations, still
unshaven, willing to die for democracy during ww1.
A prize winner of the Victorian "Premier's spirit of
Anzac prize" educational competition, Miss Bianca Gerrard of Beaufort
Secondary College of Victoria state, spoke also of the self sacrificaion that
these young boys, her age, for a better future.
At the end of the memorial service, Lemnos island
officials, the Hellenic & Australian Armed Forces, Veteran affairs
representatives and public attendees laid wreaths on memorial of the fallen
soldiers, after keeping a moment of silence.
Also representing the Greek government, were the Chief of
staff of the Hellenic National Defence Ministry, General Mr. Iliopoulos of the
Greek Army.
The Canadian government was represented by the Ambassador
of Canada to Rome.
CWGC East Mudros First World War cemetery is situated on
the north east side of the city of Moudros and in the 1st kilometer out of the
city, next to the Greek Civil cemetery of Moudros city. Of the 800 burials 649
are British. The cemetery, can also be reached by following the road traffic
sign directions to Kaminia village.
ANZAC DAY Historical info:
ANZAC Day revives annually in April, on Limnos, commemorating those who fought
and died at Gallipoli Peninsula campaign (battle of Gallipoli) during world war
one, following Winston Churchill's plans in creating another war front, to
force German powers to split their army, to support the Ottoman Empire.
Anzac Street on Lemnos, took its name from the Australian
and New Zealand Army Corps annual national day of remembrance. On ANZAC Day
commemoration ceremonies take place in honor of all the fallen in all wars,
conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. Of the 11.421 Anzacs died 8.700 of them
were Australian; the remainder were from New Nealand.
The centenary anniversary of the ANZACS is on 2015.
Lemnos island played a very important role in the Anzac campaign and served as
the main military base of the Anzacs. Punta cape/ Peninsula hosted the
establishment of the Australian Hospitals including the first X-Ray equipment
installation and other allied forces. The Armistice of Mudros (Moudros modern
name) marked the end of the Gallipoli war in 1918. On 30 October 1918, Mudros
gulf hosted HMS Agamemnon battleship, where the armistice was signed between
the Ottoman Empire and the Allies.
In the summer of 2013, Limnos has started its
preparations, in syncronisation with Melbourne's LGCC/ Lemnos Gallipoli
Commemorative Committee, to promote Lemnos's connection with the Anzac legacy
in the international media.
LGCC, is a Melbourne-based community organisation,
committed to ensuring that the Anzac connection to the northern Aegean island
of Lemnos is appropriately commemorated. Lemnos's Anzac heritage is often
overlooked part of the Gallipoli Campaign.
Lemnos 1915 – Lest We Forget.
Further information can be found in LGCC website:
www.LemnosGallipoliCC.blogspot.GR
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website: www.cwgc.org
The Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee thanks Vassilis for his lovely story and beautiful photographs.
Check out Vassilis' website for his beautiful photographs by clicking
here.
Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee
