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| His Excellency, The Ambassador of Australia to Greece, John Griffin, addresses the unveiling of the 42nd Street Memorial, Crete, 19 May 2016. Photo Jim Claven 2016 |
During the recent 75th anniversary commemorations of the battle of Greece and Crete in 1941 held on Crete two famous diggers were specifically honored by the Australian Ambassador to Greece, his excellency John Griffin.
Ambassador Griffin addressed the assembled crowd at the unveiling of the new 42nd Street memorial on 19th May 2016. The memorial, on the site where Australian and New Zealand forces fought German mountain troops on 27 May 1941, has been five years in the making, and the initiative was established by Glenda Humes, eldest surviving daughter of Captain Reg Saunders MBE.
His speech specifically honoured the service of Private reg Saunders, one of Australia's most famous indigenous Anzacs, who took part in the brave charge of the Anzacs at 42nd street in May 1941. He went on to honour the service of Australia's only Hellenic Anzac who fell in the defence of Greece and Crete, at the nearby Cretan village of Mournies, on 24th May 1941.
On behalf of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign Commemorative Council, I presented Ambassador Griffin with a commemorative postcard in honour of the service of Gunner James Zampelis.
To read the text of Ambassador Griffin's address, please click here.
To view the ceremony at the unveiling of the 42nd Street memorial, please follow the link by clicking here.
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| Myself and Ambassador Griffin, presenting the ambassador with a memorial photograph of gunner James Zampelis, Suda Bay War Cemetery, 21st May 2016. Photo Jim Claven 2016 |
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee
& Member, Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign Commemorative Council
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