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RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch
RETURNED SOLDIER –
“APOSTRATOS”
Memorial Hall, 14A Ferrars Place South Melbourne Vic 3205 Phone (03) 9699 9844 Dec 2016
Dear Members and Friends of the RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch
As we approach the end of another season, I wish to thank our committee for another
successful and prosperous year at the Sub Branch. In this issue of Apostratos, there is
considerable focus on the Medal Presentation event our Sub Branch hosted on behalf of
the Greek Consulate for recipients of the Greek Medal of Honour 1940-41 who fought in
the World War Two Greek campaign.
A warm welcome to all our new members that have joined our Sub-Branch - Nikolaos
Patsakas, Dimitrios Sgournellis, Manolis Papastamatis, Ilias Prodromitis, Dionysios
Prodromitis and Mr Fotios Tsonis
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Returned Soldier “Apostratos” Newsletter
Steve Kyritsis OAM, President
Mrs Susan Harriot-Daw and husband receive the Greek Medal of Honour 1940-41 from the Greek Consul General
Mrs Christina Simantiraki for her late father Corporal Robert Richardson who served in the WWII Greek Campaign.
Continued on page 8
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Date Milestones and Past Events 22nd April 2016 Welcome dinner - Lieutenant General Konstantinos Gkatzogiannis
13th August 2016 First anniversary of the unveiling of the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial at Foote
Street Reserve, Albert Park.
18th August 2016 The 1966 Battle of Long Tan Vietnam - 50th anniversary
11th September Fathers Day at the Hellenic Sub-Branch. All members and friends are invited.
28th October 2016 OHI Day at the Hellenic Memorial & Shrine.
11th November 2015 Remembrance Day
Date Future Events 7.00pm Saturday
31st December 2016
New Years Eve function at the Hellenic Sub-Branch. Three course meal, traditional
Greek music by Mr Jim Varnas and his band, a great atmosphere not to be missed.
28th October 2016 – OHI Day
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MP Mrs Georgie Crozier lays a wreath
Major Terry Kanellos gives the “Eyes Right” command as the Procession marches past
the eternal flame and onto the Shrine of Remembrance
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Inside the Shrine of Remembrance
Students from St Johns College lay a wreath
inside the Shrine of Remembrance
Welcome dinner - Lieutenant General Konstantinos Gkatzogiannis
On Friday 22nd April 2016, the Hellenic Sub Branch of the RSL hosted a dinner welcoming Lieutenant General
Konstantinos Gkatzogiannis and Lieutenant Colonel Konstantinos Vasilopoulos of the Hellenic Armed Forces. Both
Officers were in Melbourne to participate in the Annual WWII Battle of Crete Commemoration activities. The
General was particularly interested to meet and understand the work done by Lambis Englezos in locating the grave
of 250 WW1 Australian soldiers deemed missing in action during heavy fighting in Fromelles France (see article in
previous edition Apostratos newsletter). Both Greek officers spoke at length with WO2 Ken Tsirigotis about his
recent service in Afghanistan.
Pictured left to right – RSL Hellenic Sub Branch Treasurer Dennis Patisteas, President Steve Kyritsis, LT GEN
Konstantinos Gkatzogiannis, LT COL Konstantinos Vasilopoulos, LT COL Athanasios Masouras (Ret),
representing Melbourne Legacy WO2 Ken Tsirigotis and Larry Irwin President of the Battle of Crete 75th
Anniversary commemorative committee.
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“Do you remember me?” LT COL Athanasios Masouras (Ret) meets up with his old Greek Army colleague
Lieutenant General Konstantinos Gkatzogiannis. Both had served in the 95 EARMEA Battalion during an operation
in Rhodes in 1987 as Captain Masouras and First Lieutenant Gkatzogiannis.
We are saddened by the passing of
Mr Theodoros Spirason
(Spirakos)
24th August 1920
to
28th October 2016
The RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch would
like to pass on our condolences to
the extended Spirason family.
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The Battle of Long Tan
50 Year Commemoration
On the 17th August, over 1000 Vietnam
War veterans, including our President
Steve Kyritsis, marched at the Melbourne
Shrine of Remembrance to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the most
prominent battle of the Vietnam War,
The Battle of Long Tan.
10 Rosemary Court Mulgrave (03) 9561 5922
Appreciation plaques
On the 28th October 2016,
Appreciation plaques were
presented to Mr Michael
Marakoudakis, Mr Chris
Togias and Mr Dimitrios
Fragakis for their services
to our Sub Branch.
Dimitrios Fragakis does
not appear in the photo.
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Hellenic Sub-Branch participates in the Australian Hellenic Memorial School Competition
Again this year, The Australian Hellenic Memorial Foundation ran their School Competition which concluded with
an awards ceremony on Sunday 11th September at the Memorial. The aim of the competition is to explore the
Australian and Greek involvement in Greece during both World Wars. Below is an entry from a year 4-6 student.
Some of the quotes include…”They died so we can live” and ”United through peace”.
Manny PANOURAKIS Phone Number: (03) 9555 9475
Email Address: [email protected]
Street Address: L1, 346-348 Highett Rd Highett Vic 3190
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War Service of 31 Australian Greek Campaign Veterans Honoured by Greece
WW2 veteran families after receiving the Greek Medal of Honour
On Sunday, 6th November 2016, the Consul-General of Greece, Her Excellency Christina Simantiraki, presented
families of Australian WWII veterans with the Greek Medal of honour for service during the WW2 Greek
campaign. The event was hosted by our Hellenic RSL Sub Branch. Over one hundred people attended including
members of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, the Cretan community, the Lemnian
Community of Victoria, the Papaflessas Brotherhood and the Kalamata Society - amongst others. The master of
ceremonies was Major Terry Kanellos, Secretary of the Hellenic RSL Sub Branch.
The Greek Medal of Honour 1940-41
OHI Day in Canberra
A delegation from the sub branch
attended the Canberra OHI day
service. It was hosted by Major Terry
Kanellos and again supported by the
30 Army Cadet Unit from Sunshine.
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Jim Claven Secretary of the Lemnos Gallipoli
Commemorative Committee (centre) with Susan Kimpton
(daughter) and Bernard O’Connor (nephew) of veteran
Major Hedley Stephens.
Major Hedley Stephens
Serving with the 2/2 Field Regiment during the
Greek campaign, Hedley Stephens was
attached to the 6th Division Headquarters.
During the withdrawal from Greece, he was
given responsibility to supervise one of the
evacuation beaches. After this, he chose not to
be evacuated and made his escape in German
occupied Greece, eventually finding his way to
the Island of Milos, between Crete and the
mainland.
Hedley met with other Allied troops who had
escaped from Megara, however all were
captured by the Germans. Hedley served out
the war as a POW in German prisoner of war
camps.
Gunner Victor Charles Foster
Craig Sayers with his great Aunt Mrs Alice
Stephenson (97) nee Foster, sister of
Gunner Victor Charles Foster who served
with the 3rd Australian Light Anti-Aircraft
(LAA) Regiment and was killed in action at
sea on the 29th May 1941 during the
evacuation of Crete.
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Lieutenant Donald Cameron
Photo - Seated is Mrs Patricia Cameron, wife of veteran
Lieutenant Donald Cameron who served with the 2/7th Battalion
6th Division. Standing from left to right, President Steve
Kyritsis, daughters Lindy Richardson and Judy Cameron.
Donald Cameron served with war hero Captain Reg Saunders
who was the first Aboriginal Australian to be commissioned as
an officer in the Australian Army. Following the invasion of
Crete in May 1941, the 2/7th Battalion took part in the fighting
around Hania including battles of 42nd Street. As the Allies
began to evacuate the island, the 2/7th was called upon to
carry out a series of rearguard actions in order to allow other units to be taken off the island. After the final Allied ships
departed the island on 1st June 1941, the battalion was left behind. As a result, many of its men including Donald
Cameron and Reg Saunders were taken prisoner. Donald spent the rest of the war as a POW in German prisoner of war
camps, whilst Reg escaped. With help from the local Cretan people, Reg hid for 11 months in the hills around the island
and was evacuated from Crete by a British submarine in May 1942.
Private John McGarrity
Pictured are Loren Brown granddaughter and
Mrs Patricia Brown daughter of veteran John
McGarrity (2/2nd) who was killed at the Battle of
Vevi in North Western Greece in 1941.
The Battle of Vevi took place on 11th –12th April
1941, north of the town of Amyntaion, where
Allied troops fought forces from Nazi Germany.
Private Harry Harr
Pictured are Mrs Pam Bennet and
Mr Paul Haar, who received the
medal on behalf of their father
veteran Private Harry Harr.
Paul has provided our sub branch
with a terrific story of his father’s
experiences during war time
Greece. To do the story justice, we
have decided to print the complete
article in our next edition of
Apostratos Newsletter.
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From Left to Right - Legacy Melbourne WO2 Ken Tsirigotis, Mr John O'Conor-Whyte, Assistant Director
Operational Support Section Department of Veterans Affairs, Hon Bruce Atkinson MLC, President of the
Legislative Council of Victoria, Greek Consul General Mrs Christina Simantiraki, Mr Steve Dimopoulos MP for
Oakleigh representing the Hon John Eren MP State Minister for Veterans, former MP and Minister Mr John
Pandazopoulos.
Our Sub Branch and the Greek Consulate were inundated with messages of gratitude from family members that
attended the medal presentation ceremony. Below is an extract of an email received from Mr Kenneth Muir.
From: Kenneth Muir Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 To: Steve Kyritsis Subject: Greece - Commemorative Award Medal Ceremony - The late Staff Sergeant John Muir Dear Steve This note is to express the heartfelt thanks of my Family and I to the Greek people for this award to my late Brother “Jack”. Your assistance with the processes necessary for the award to be made is also greatly appreciated by us all. Would you please convey our sincere thanks to The Consul General of Greece. An award such as this, being made 75 years after the event that it commemorates, demonstrates the strength of feelings between our two Nations. In 2013, my Son, my Nephew and I visited the historic WW2 sites in Crete, an emotional experience for us all. We will never forget the warmth of the Cretan people towards Australians. My Brother’s daughters Glenda and Melva, after receiving the award on Sunday, were deeply moved by the occasion. I very much regret that I was unable to attend. Yours sincerely, Kenneth C Muir
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World War 2 Memorial Plaque Erected at Brallos Pass in Greece – October 2016
The Memorial commemorates the service of the Australian 2/2 Field regiment in the important battle fought there in
April 1941. The Plaque was erected by the 2/2 Field Regiment Association Victoria and unveiled by the Australian
Ambassador to Greece, His Excellency John Griffin in the presence of Lt Col Zisis Moukas, representatives from
the local council and our Sub Branch representative based in Thessaloniki Greece, Mr Dimitrios Harizanis.
The Memorial location is where the 2/2nd Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery and 2/2nd Australian Infantry
Battalion held positions during the rear guard action fought in Brallos Pass during the Allied withdrawal from
Greece. These units inflicted heavy losses on the German armoured forces in this action.
Fathers Day at the Hellenic Sub-Branch - 11th September 2016
Manny Karvelas and Con Katsambanis announce the oldest
Father on the day Mr Theodoros Spanos (left) and the
youngest, Mr Con Kouskouris (above).
Next Edition Returned Soldier “Apostratos” – Due out March 2017
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