Jim Claven’s Grecian Adventure – A Review

·

By Dr Peter Ewer*

In recent years, Melbourne historian Jim Claven has brought to public attention many previously untold aspects of the Australian military effort in Greece in both World Wars, notably through his epic Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed: A Pictorial History of the Anzacs in the Aegean 1915-16, a magisterial volume which is the definitive work on the topic. In the course of his research, Claven has made contact with the families of many veterans, and in doing so, has uncovered priceless diaries and photo albums. True to his calling, Claven has secured these for future generations by helping the families place them with the State Library of Victoria. Now safely archived, Claven has delved into these historical treasures, and the result is Grecian Adventure: Greece 1941, Anzac Trail Stories and Photographs.

The heart of the book beats with the photographs taken by Private Syd Grant and Sergeant Alfred Huggins, with a couple also by Private Kevin Byrne. These give a fabulous insight into the ‘lived experience’, not of Generals and politicians, but of ‘ordinary’ soldiers – not that there was anything ordinary about them or their adventures. From their departure from Egypt in March 1941, through to sight-seeing in Athens before the German invasion, mixing with enthusiastic and hospitable locals, and on to the campaign itself, complete with bombing raids and harrowing scenes of casualty and burial parties at work-  all are caught by the sharp eyes of the Australian soldiers-cum war photographers. For this reason alone, Claven’s latest book can be commended without question to all those interested in the Anzac experience in Greece, and its importance to the enduring relationship between Australia and Greece.

But there is more even than this in Grecian Adventure. Claven has surrounded the original photographs of Grant, Huggins and Byrne with a mix of stories about the campaign in Greece,. Among the best of these are the two chapters that describe the extent of Australian community support for Greece following Mussolini’s invasion in October 1940. Here we get a real sense of the passionate support for Greece among ordinary Australians in this dark hour, and the remarkable fundraising efforts that resulted. This was a community mobilisation that has regrettably slipped somewhat from public mind, perhaps overshadowed by the crisis of Australia’s war in 1942 when the country itself was attacked by the Japanese. Claven does an excellent job in retrieving this feature of the wartime experience for the modern reader.

Returning to Greece and Crete, Claven provides wide-ranging accounts of individual battles, including the at Vevi that opened the fighting for the Anzacs, and that at Platamonas and Pinieos Gorge, where the entire Anzac fighting force narrowly escaped destruction. These chapters benefit enormously from Claven’s own travels across the length and breadth of Greece and Crete, a personal odyssey that brings contemporary freshness to wartime history.

In all, Grecian Adventure is a fine addition to the Greek campaign literature, well-worthy of the funding support it received from the Victorian Government’s grants program to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War Two. Grants of this kind are not made without community support, so a special commendation to the Pammessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas, who sponsored the project, along with the other community organisations and individuals who contributed to its publication.

Readers interested in purchasing a copy of Jim Claven’s Grecian Adventure should email the author: jimclaven@yahoo.com.au

A graduate of both Macquarie and RMIT universities, Dr Peter Ewer is the author of many historical works including Forgotten Anzacs: The Campaign in Greece, 1941, published by Scribe, which drew on his many interviews with Australian and New Zealand service personnel who served in Greece during the campaign.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Greek hospitality meets harbour views at Sydney’s newest spot, Akti

Sydney’s Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf has received a vibrant Greek twist with the recent opening of Akti, a contemporary Greek restaurant.

Crash survivor Paris Cockinos urges Aussies to donate blood

Paris Cockinos was left fighting for his life after a motorcycle accident in 2020 that resulted in severe internal injuries and fractures.

Fishermen see hope return amid Greece’s trawler ban

Greece’s remote Fournoi archipelago, rich in coral reefs and marine biodiversity, is set to benefit from a government ban on bottom trawling.

Tony Xanthopoulos’ lavish spending and mounting debts revealed amid company collapse

Tony Xanthopoulos, director of Xtraordinary Constructions, is under scrutiny after company’s collapse revealed a string of luxury purchases.

SA tomato farmer Peter Petsios demands answers after biosecurity backflip

Peter Petsios is calling for an inquiry and threatening legal action after the federal government abandoned efforts to eradicate ToBRFV.

You May Also Like

Oakleigh Grammar alumna Toni Stathopoulos dances her way to the top

The legendary American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham said: “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”

Bill Papastergiadis OAM pays tribute to the late Nick Andrianakos

President of the Greek Community of Melbourne, Bill Papastergiadis OAM, has pai tribute to the late Nick Andrianakos.

Greece races to fill tourism jobs ahead of summer season

A sign outside the Karyatis taverna beneath the Acropolis reads: “Seeking staff, chefs, waiters, kitchen personnel.”