The 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign was marked with solemnity and pride on Wednesday, May 21 at a moving commemoration held at the Australian-Hellenic Memorial, ANZAC Parade, Canberra.
This annual event has been co-hosted, for the past 40 years, by the Embassy of Greece in Australia and the Cretan Association of Canberra & Districts Incorporated.
The ceremony brought together a distinguished gathering of guests, dignitaries, defence representatives, and members of the Greek Australian community, united in tribute to those who fought and fell in one of the most significant campaigns of the Second World War.
The memorial service was attended by:
- Very Reverend Father Petros Kipouros
- Mrs Dimitra Mihalopoulos, representing St Demetrios Parish, Queanbeyan
- Mrs Eleni Psichopeda, Director of the Greek Consular Office in Canberra Representing the Ambassador of Greece to Australia His Excellency Mr. Staros VenizelosÂ
- Vice Admiral Theodoros Mikropoulos, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff
- H.E. Mr Antonis Sammoutis, High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus
- Mr Kenneth Ryan, Deputy High Commissioner for New Zealand
- Mr Les Cook, veteran of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign
- CDRE John Stavridis CSC RAN, representing the Royal Australian Navy
- COL John Papalitsas CSC Bar, representing the Australian Army
- Mr Matthew Anderson PSM, Director of the Australian War Memorial
- Mr Paul Taylor, ACT Hellenic Sub-Branch of the RSL
- Mr John Loukadellis, President, Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra
- Mrs Nectaria Volis, President, Cypriot Community of Canberra
- Mr Emmanuel Mountakis, President, Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand
- Mr George A Katheklakis, President, Cretan Association of Canberra
- Mrs Angie Triandafillou, President, Canberra Association of Pontos ‘Trapezounta’
- Mrs Sophia Notaras and Mr Paul Levantis, Supreme Grand President of AHEPA Australia and Grand President of AHEPA ACT
- Mr Steve Kartsonas, President, Hellenic Club Canberra
- Mrs Poli Tataraki-Sansay and Mr Michael Winters, co-authors of Into the Moonlit Village – The Battle of Crete
The ceremony was enriched by the presence of a Catafalque Party, RMC Band members, and flag orderlies, lending the event the appropriate ceremonial gravitas.
Among the most poignant moments of the day was the attendance of Les Cook, 102, one of the last living veterans of both the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign. Mr Cook delivered the Ode of Remembrance, a powerful and emotional tribute that brought many in the audience to tears, as he stood as a living testament to the courage and sacrifice of 1941.
Author and poet Poli Tataraki recited Before the Skies Burned, drawn from the book Into the Moonlit Village co-authored with artist Michael Winters. The poem recounts the dramatic events of 1941 near Rethymnon, Crete, where Australian soldiers fired upon the window of the Saint George Church, a German stronghold at the time.
Later in the day, Vice Admiral Mikropoulos laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on behalf of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff.
He also participated in the Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial, alongside David Lewis, Assistant Secretary of the Global Partners Branch in the Department of Defence. Together, they paid homage to those who laid down their lives in defence of freedom.
The commemorative events underscored the enduring bonds between Greece, Australia, and New Zealand, honouring shared histories of resilience, sacrifice, and unwavering alliance.
