Two hundred and thirty four Anzac soldiers remain on Lemnos, buried in the islands Commonwealth Military Cemeteries. They are a continuing reminder of the sacrifice made by Australia and New Zealand soldiers as part of the Gallipoli campaign.
Lemnos has two Military Cemeteries - East Mudros and Portiano - as well as a further cemetery at West Mudros - the Muslim Cemetery.
An moving Anzac Day service is held on Lemnos every year.
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| An Australian cemetery on the Aegean island of Lemnos. The grave in the foreground is that of Colonel Richard Linton, Officer Commanding the 6th Brigade. Australian War Memorial image C02314 |
East Mudros Military Cemetery
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| East Mudros Military Cemetery, April 2012 Photgraph Jim Claven |
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| Jim Claven at grave of Colonel Linton, from Middle Brighton, 6th AIF Brigade commander, who died on 2nd September 1915 following the torpedoing of the HMT Southland. East Mudros Military Cemetery, April 2012 Photograph Jim Claven |
The main military cemetery on Lemnos is located at East Mudros. It is situated on rising ground on the north east side of the village of Mudros and is about 1 km out of the village, next to the Greek Civil Cemetery. Mudros is located on the east side of Mudros Bay, on the way to Kaminia village.
The cemetery was begun in April 1915 and used until September 1919. It contains 885 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 86 of them unidentified, and one Second World War burial. There are also seven non-naval graves and 32 burials of other nationalities in the cemetery, 29 of them Russians who died in the evacuation of Novorossisk in 1921, who are remembered on a memorial plaque set into the boundary wall.
The cemetery also includes separate memorials dedicated to Indian, French and British dead and a memorial erected to sailors of HMS Agamemnon who died in service during the Gallipoli campaign. There are 98 Australians and 47 New Zealanders identified and buried in this Military Cemetery.
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| Portianos Military Cemetery, April 2012 Photograph Jim Claven |
Commonwealth War Graves Website - East Mudros Military Cemetery
Portianos Military Cemetery
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| Portianos Military Cemetery, April 2012 Photograph Jim Claven |
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| Portianos Military Cemetery, April 2012 Photgraph Jim Claven |
The hamlet of Portianos is on the west side of Mudros Bay, on the island of Lemnos. The cemetery is on the outskirts of the village, on Anzac Street, adjacent to the local communal cemetery.
The Portianos Military Cemetery was begun in August 1915 and used until August 1920. The cemetery now contains 347 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and five war graves of other nationalities. There are 50 Australians and 29 New Zealanders identified buried at this Military Cemetery.
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| Grave of Ivanhoe-born Gunner L.S Crawforth, who drowned at Mudros on 3rd October 1915 aged 24, Portianos Military Cemetery, April 2012 Photograph Jim Claven |
Commonwealth War Graves Website - Portianos Military Cemetery
West Mudros Muslim Cemetery
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| West Mudros Muslim Cemetery. with site of former Sarpi camp in the background. April 2012 Photograph Jim Claven |
This Cemetery is located in open ground on the West Coast of Mudros Bay and is approached from Portianos.
The cemetery contains the graves of 170 unidentified causalities of the Egyptian Labour Corps and 57 Turkish prisoners of war, none of whom are marked individually. The commemoration is in the form of a memorial obelisk surrounded by as stone wall, which lies immediately adjacent to the unmade track leading from Portianos, about 3 kilometres beyond the village.
Commonwealth War Graves Website - West Mudros Muslim Cemetery
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Memorial Signs