The Commemorative Committee has been established to firstly promote the commemoration of the involvement of ANZAC forces that went through or were based on the Island of Lemnos in the 1915 Gallipoli campaign and secondly the connections between Greece and Australia in terms of military campaigns in both WW1 and WW2. We aim to promote this through engaging with government (at all relevant levels), the private sector and communities in Australia, New Zealand, Greece and especially Lemnos. We see this has potential to:
- Commemorate the contribution of soldiers, nurses and civilians in the Gallipoli campaign and the connection between Lemnos, Greece and Australia;
- Re-enforce the historical connection between Australia and Greece, whether through military operations or migration; and,
- Encourage pilgrimages and tourism between Australia and Greece to further deepen the appreciation of this connection, to enhance economic development and provision of associated infrastructure (including appropriate memorials and grave site upgrades).
One of our first projects was to ensure that the Anzac connection with Lemnos was recognized in the forthcoming Centenary of Anzac in 2015. Consequently, we engaged with the Australian, New Zealand, Greek and Lemnian governments and authorities to this end, resulting in major commemorations taking place on Lemnos in April 2015, with the participation of the Royal Australian Navy and Hellenic Armed Forces.
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| Nurses of No 3 Australian General Hospital about to follow the hospital's piper Warrant Officer Archibald Monk into their camp, under the leadership of their matron, Miss Grace Wilson and second in command of the hospital, Lieutenant Colonel J A Dick at Mudros West. The nurses of this hospital underwent the same heavy privations as the men of the army at the front during this period. Ships are anchored off shore. 9 August 1915. Australian War Memorial image A04118. |
