Hundreds gathered at the Cenotaph in Martin Place, Sydney on Saturday, May 17, to honour the 84th anniversary of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign.
It was a solemn and deeply moving service that paid tribute to extraordinary acts of courage, sacrifice and solidarity between the peoples of Greece, Australia and New Zealand during the Second World War.
Organised by the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign, the ceremony began with the arrival of Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales, who was received with a Vice Regal Salute.
As the catafalque party from the Royal Australian Navy took their position around the memorial, silence fell across the crowd—a reverent beginning to a service of remembrance.
Following a welcome and introduction by Master of Ceremonies Colonel Graham Fleeton RFD Ret’d, hymns and prayers were offered by His Grace Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupolis and Father Trent Bowen RAN. The ancient words of the Trisagion echoed through Martin Place, calling for forgiveness and peace for the souls of the fallen.
Afterwards, Vice Admiral Theodoros Mikropoulos, Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, delivered remarks in English, highlighting the enduring legacy of Crete as a symbol of defiance and unity.
Rear Admiral Chris Smith AM, CSM, RAN gave a stirring response address, rich with historical reflection and personal memory.
Honours and reflection
After the official speeches, wreaths were solemnly laid — each one a gesture of remembrance for those who gave their lives.
Wreaths were laid by Governor Beazley, Vice Admiral Mikropoulos, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Ioannis Mallikourtis; Federal Member for Kingsford Smith, Matt Thistlethwaite; Senator Dave Sharma; NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, Sophie Cotsis MP; the Deputy High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Nikolaos Varellas; the President of the Joint Committee, James Jordan; local councillors and religious leaders; representatives of Greek and Cypriot associations, schools and cultural organisations; Australian defence force personnel; and relatives of people who fought and died in the Battle of Crete.
A military delegation from Greece was also present including Commander Dimitrios Lekkakos, Greek Navy, and Colonel Kyriakos Kyriakakos, Defence Attaché of the Greek Embassy in Canberra.
The event concluded with the recital of The Ode by Peter Tsigounis; the playing of the Last Post; the singing of the National Anthems of Greece and Australia by the choirs of St Euphemia College, All Saints Grammar and St Spyridon College, with support from The Royal Australian Naval Band Sydney; and a minute’s silence.
With that, the NSW Governor departed under the Royal Salute. The catafalque party dismounted, and the service concluded — leaving behind not just fading footsteps and floral tributes, but a quiet commitment among all present to carry forward the legacy of those who stood for freedom on the mountains of Crete.
‘Gunners are a brotherhood’
Among those in attendance was veteran Joe Elkusch, who returned once again this year to honour a man he never met, but who remains close to his heart — artilleryman Keith Johnson.
Joe was wearing Keith’s war medals, given to him by Keith’s two first cousins who believed Joe could be entrusted with looking after them.
“Keith served in artillery, as I did after the war. And gunners worldwide are a brotherhood,” Joe told The Greek Herald. “It doesn’t matter what war you served in or what age you are—if you served as a gunner, you’re a brother.”
Johnson, who enlisted in November 1939 at the age of 22, was what is known as a ’39er’—a distinction for those who volunteered in the earliest days of the war.
“It doesn’t make him superior, but it’s a distinction. It’s a privilege to honour his memory.”
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos
