HELLENIC ANZACS Anzac Day April 2014 – Sydney so that current and future generations learn from this Anzac Day Sydney services this year started with important Human Legacy. thousands cramming into Martin Place, standing Below is abrief outline of some of the facts that bind sombrely as dignitaries, veterans and serving defence Australians and Greeks as allies in War and in Peace for personnel arrived in the early morning dark to more than a century. remember and pay tribute. 1. In 1899 the first Greek Australians to serve Australia was in the Boer War in South Africa and their names were Frank Manuso, Constantine Alexander, Thomas Haraknoss, Elias Lukas and George Challis. Francis Manusu 1900 2. Some 87 Australians of Greek heritage fought in Gallipoli and France in World War 1. Some were born in Athens, Crete, Castellorizo, Kythera, Ithaca, Peloponnissos Samos, Kefalonia, Lefkada and Cyprus. About 60 of them fought in Gallipoli known as the First Anzac Campaign. Three of these Anzacs fought again in Anzac Day Dawn service 2014, Sydney Cenotaph Crete and Greece in World War 2 which is known as Photo Nick Moir the Second Anzac Campaign. They are also known as dual Anzacs. 3. Two Australian Nurses of the first world war were also of Greek Heritage . One of them was Cleopatra Johnson ( Ioanou ) daughter of Antoni Ioanou gold miner of Moonan Brook NSW. 4. On 4th March 1915 the Greek island of Lemnos was set up the headquarters for the Gallipoli Campaign. It was on Lemnos where the ships anchored, where water and food was sourced, where horses, donkeys and mules were procured, where the beach landings were practised, where the hospitals were set Anzac Day march through city streets 2014 up to look after the Photo Ben Rushton wounded from Gallipoli and if the wounded As we approach the 100 Year Anzac Day Anniversary, died they were buried next year, we should try and remember some of the on Lemnos. Over 200 facts why Anzac Day is relevant to Australians of Greek Anzacs are buried on Hospital on Lemnos 1915 heritage. Lemnos. The Armistice with the Turks was signed For over 100 years Australia and Greece have been allies in Moudros Harbour, Lemnos in 1918. http://www. in most major world conflicts and most peace keeping anzacsite.gov.au/5environment/nursephoto.html missions and both people are intertwined in many, 5. In August 1915, 170 Cretan Guerrillas under the many ways from the earliest conflicts such as the Boer Command of Pavlos Gyparis fought in the Gallipoli War to the recent conflicts in the Middle East and their Campaign. They attacked the Gulf of Saros to act as aftermaths. It’s a Century of Brothers and Sisters in a diversion to lure the Turks and coincided with the Arms and the Contribution of Australians and Greeks Australian’s 1st Brigade assault on Lone Pine. and the special relationship which has developed 6. From 1917-1918, nearly 450 Australian Men between them needs to be acknowledged and discussed 34 The Kytherian and Women ( nurses ) served in the War 12. In 1943 Lance/Corporal Angelo Barbouttis, born in Macedonia. They fought alongside in Castellorizo, stands out for his amazing bravery Commonwealth Forces and the Greek Allies in New Guinea when he wiped out almost a whole against the invasion by Germans and Bulgarians. boat load of Japanese thereby saving his men. He 7. In 1922 Australia’s highest decorated heroine was eventually killed by a sniper who had swum Joice NanKivell- Loch and her husband Sydney to shore and buried at sea with little fanfare. They Loch went to Greece as aid have named a street and some public buildings workers for refugees of the in Townsville in honour of Angelo Barbouttis. An Asia Minor Conflict. The application to award a posthumous Victoria Cross Lochs worked in a refugee to Angelo Barbouttis has been made by Tas Psarakis camp on the outskirts of and is currently before the Australian Government Thessaloniki and then at for determination. the village of Ouranoupoli, 13. Australia’s highest decorated Aboriginal Soldier the last settlement before Captain Reginald Saunders Mount Athos. For their work fought in Greece and Crete. in Greece the couple were http://www.awm.gov.au/ awarded medals by the King Joice Nankivell Loch blog/2009/02/13/reginald- of the Hellenes and By the saunders/?query=saunders. Government of Australia. Joice NanKivell- Loch Captain Saunders supported lived most of her life in Ouranopoli and died there by the Zacharakis family in 1982. evaded capture on Crete http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joice_NanKivell_Loch for almost one year until 8. About 2,400 Australians of Greek heritage fought he finally escaped. Captain for Australia in World War 2. Of these 35 were Saunders also served Captain Reg Saunders women who served in various roles at home and Australia in the Korean War. abroad. 14. Anzac Geoff Edwards of the 2/11th Battalion’s 9. With so many members serving in the Boer War, Carrier Platoon remembered the bravery and World War I and World War 2 the contribution sacrifice of the Cretans who helped him avoid of the Manousou family from country NSW capture. In 1979 he built a Greek Orthodox church (originally from Lesvos) stands out. Of the Ten on the hill above his seaside community and named members that enlisted four were killed. his home in Western http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/the-greeks-who- Australia, Prevelly Park, fought-for-australia?page=2. after the monastery at 10. The Second Anzac Core was established in Preveli on Crete. Today Macedonia on 12th April 1941 by General Blamey Prevelly Park is known to resist the Nazi Invasion of Greece. They fought as the Town of Prevelly firstly on the Greek Mainland at Florina, Vevi, and is an important Brallos pass (Thermopylae), Tempe Gorge, Volos, town of the Margaret Megara and Corinth. http://en.wikipedia.org/ River region. http://www. wiki/Battle_of_Greece and then in the Battle of margaretrivervista.com/ Crete http://en.wikipedia..org/wiki/Battle_of_ prevelly.html. Crete. In honour of the people Over 17,000 Australians were involved in the who cared for and Prevelly Greek Monastery Prevelly Park Western Australia Greece Campaign and around 6,500 were involved protected him, he also in The Battle of Crete. built the chapel of St John the Theologian, on the hill overlooking the sea on 11. In 1941 , 494 Australians were wounded and more Wallclffe Road. than 2,000 were taken prisoner on the Greek In the 1960’s Mr Edwards subdivided the area and mainland. In the Battle of Crete 507 Australians the developers named it Prevelly Park. Following were wounded and more than 3,000 were taken the subdivision Mr Edwards named several streets prisoner. 252 Australians are buried in Phaleron after the families and monks who saved him. So War Cemetery (Battle of Greece) and 197 take note of the street signs next time you are in the Australians are buried in Suda Bay War Cemetery town and you will notice names such as Vatos Way (Battle of Crete). and Papadakis Road. The Kytherian 35 During the 70’s the shire of Augusta-Margaret River 19. In 1976 The Joint Committee for the requested that the new development be declared a Commemoration of The Battle of Crete and The townsite and in 1978 it was gazetted. Greek campaign was established by the RSL, 15. Australia received hundreds of thousands of Greek the Military Police Association and the Cretan Migrants from the late 1940’s to the early 1970’s as Association of NSW to annually commemorate a result of World War II. It is estimated that Greece the anniversary of The Battle of Crete and The lost 11 percent of its population during the Nazi Greek Campaign. occupation due to military activity, crimes against 20. In 2007 the largest unmarked military grave of humanity and war related famine and disease. Australian soldiers was discovered at Fromelles, Following World War II, Greece faced further France due to the five years effort of research and extreme hardship during the civil war. Migration lobbying of indefatigable Greek Australian Lambis was necessary to avoid increasing poverty and Englezos. http://www.awm.gov.au/blog/2008/07/18/ unemployment. fromelless-missing/ 16. In the early 1950’s the Australian Council of Social 21. In 2013 Australia and Greece have contributed 110 Service under the leadership of Aileen Fitzpatrick and 63 personnel to United Nations Peacekeeping made Australia the first country in the world to Missions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ successfully orchestrate large-scale expatriation and countries_by_number_of_UN_peacekeepers reunion of children separated from their parents 22. In 2013 Dr Ian Frazer, Anthropologist along as a result of War. In this case it was the “gathered” with 50 Australians and New Zealanders ( Anzac children ( also known as Paidomazoma ) from the Descendents ) erected a Battle of Greece and the following Greek Civil War memorial at the Tripiti that were re united with their parents in Australia. Gorge in Southern Crete. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/030710 The memorial was a tribute 22.2012.696850 to the Greek people and 17. Between 1950 and 1955, Greece and Australia the Anzacs who managed participated in the Korean War in response to the to evade capture some United Nations Resolution. 17,000 Australians two years after the Nazi served in the Korean War and they suffered 339 occupation, until they were dead and 1200 wounded. Greece sent some 2,163 rescued in 1943. http:// men to Korea and suffered 186 dead. neoskosmos.com/news/en/ The beach at Tripiti 18.