Aussies Mark Battle of Crete’s 72 Anniversary

The events for the 72nd Anniversary of the Battle of Crete are culminating in Melbourne with big crowds. The Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, Vice Admiral Alexandros Theodosiou participated in the events representing the Greek armed forces.

Theodosiou who visited Australia with his wife, is accompanied by the Commander Georgios Pelekanos.

Representatives of the Australian Armed Forces, many Australian politicians, representatives of the Greek religious and consular authorities, as well as Diaspora organizations were also participating.

In the big gala which was held at the Cretan Centre, the Cretan dancers Sifis Tsourdalakis and Giorgos Karagiorgis and the dance groups of the Pan-Cretan Union and the Cretan Brotherhood entertained the audience. All the speakers highlighted the participation of the Australian armed forces in the fighting on Crete in 1941,  noting it was one of the most important events in the common history of the two countries, as thousands of Australian soldiers fought the Nazi invasion.

They also stressed the struggle and the tenacity of Cretan people for freedom and democracy, which helped determine the fate of the war. The last day of celebrations after the doxology at St. Efstathios Cathedral, followed a parade and a wreath laying both at the Shrine of Remembrance and at the Australian Hellenic Memorial.

Then the Cretan Unions hosted a lunch to honor the representatives of the Greek armed forces. On May 28 on behalf of the Greek delegation, Australian soldiers who fought in Greece during the World War II will be honored with special medals.

The awarding of medals will be held at the Melbourne’s Greek Consulate, by the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Eleni Lianidou and the Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff.