Lemnos Anzac Graves Honoured in St Kilda Cemetery

The assembled pay their respects at the grave of Clarice and Ernest Lawrence, including Christina Chapman (first from left), Glenn Chapman (second from left), Hugh Dolan (third from left), Cr Dick Gross (fourth from left rear), the Hon Michael Danby (fifth from left front), Richard Hall (sixth from left), Lee Tarlamis (seventh from left), Jan Armstrong (eight from left), Mr John Salpigitis (ninth from left) and Historian Jim Claven (at right). Photo Jim Claven 2017

On Sunday 15th January 2017 members of Melbourne’s Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee joined with Anzac descendants, Federal MP Michael Danby and representatives of the City of Port Phillip at St Kilda Cemetery to honour the service of two famous Anzac’s who served on Lemnos in 1915.

The marriage of Clarice and Ernest at West Mudros, Lemnos in 1915. AWM

Nurse Clarice Daley and Sergeant Ernest Lawrence both served in the Gallipoli campaign, Clarice serving with the 3rd Australian General Hospital on Lemnos and Ernest with the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade at Gallipoli. They were famously married on the western shores of Lemnos’ great Mudros Bay. They are the only Anzac couple to have been married in the war zone during the campaign. Clarice and Ernest survived the war and returned to Melbourne’s Elwood, going on to raise a family together.

The grave of Clarice and Ernest Lawrence, St Kilda Cemetery. Photo Jim Claven 2017

The service took place at Clarice and Ernest’s grave site at St Kilda Cemetery.
Attendees included descendants of Clarice and Ernest - Christina Chapman, Glen Chapman and Richard Hall. Also present were the Hon Michael Danby, Federal MP for Melbourne Ports, Councillor Dick Gross from the City of Port Phillip, Ms Sandra Khazam from the City of Port Phillip and Anzac Historian Hugh Dolan, whose of 36 Days and Gallipoli Air War.

Mr John Salpigiditis of the George Devine Treloar Memorial Committee with Ms Jan Armstrong, a relative of Ballarat’s George Devine Treloar. Photo Jim Claven 2017

Mr John Salpigitidis, representing the George Devine Treloar Memorial Committee, as well as Ms Jan Armstrong, a relative of Ballarat’s George Devine Treloar also attended. Mr Salpigtidis laid a wreath composed of olive leaves and rosemary symbolsing both Greece and remembrance on behalf of the George Devine Treloar Memorial Committee.
In laying the Committee’s wreath at the grave, Committee President Mr Lee Tarlamis addressed the assembly, praising the role of Australia’s nurses - like Clarice - who diligently tended to the thousands of wounded and sick soldiers from the Gallipoli fronts in 1915. He said it was a particular honour for all of us to be joined today by members of the Daley-Lawrence family.
“It was also significant that today members of Melbourne’s Hellenic community are joined with the descendants of these two Anzac's to honour their service all those years ago on the Island of Lemnos,” Lee added.

Descendants of Clarice and Ernest Lawrence at their grave, from left, Christina Chapman, Glenn Chapman and Richard Hall. Photo Jim Claven 2017

Rev Richard Hall spoke on behalf of the Daley-Lawrence family, emphasizing the in the midst of war this young couple demonstrated the power of love to bring people together. Hugh Dolan commented on the important role that Lemnos played in the Gallipoli campaign and indeed up until the end of the First World war as a naval and air base for the Allies.
Secretary of the Committee, Mr Jim Claven, said that it was important that we recognized the service of Anzac’s like Clarice and Ernest. He said that they embodied the connection between Lemnos and Australia through the Anzac story and it was fitting that their resting place be acknowledged.
“Those Anzac's who served on Lemnos and returned to Australia carried the memory of their experience of Lemnos and its supportive Islanders back to Australia’s shores. These memories are captured in the hundreds of photographs of Lemnos and references to the Island in their letters, diaries and in memoirs. But this connection is also symbolized in graves such as Clarice and Ernest’s,” Jim stated.
Mr Claven believes that Clarice and Ernest’s grave is also significant in that it is one of very few to contain the remains of two Anzac's – a nurse and a digger.
The Committee has raised the prospect of greater recognition of Clarice and Ernest’s grave and intends to hold a regular service at the grave site.
A big thank you to both Neos Kosmos and Ta Nea for reporting our commemorations. To see the article in Neos Kosmos (in Greek), click here and here for the English version. To see the article in Ta Nea (in English), click here.

For more information on the service of Nurse Clarice Daley and Sergeant Ernest Lawrence, please follow the link by clicking here.

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee