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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

mailto:[email protected]


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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

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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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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