A commemorative event marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete was held at Sydney’s Anzac Memorial on Friday, May 15, co-hosted by the Consulate General of Greece in Sydney and the Cretan Association of Sydney & NSW.
The gathering brought together senior Greek and Australian representatives, including Chief of Staff of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Lieutenant General Konstantinos Bouzos, accompanied by Colonel Kyriakos Kyriakakos, Defence Attaché of the Embassy of Greece in Australia, Flight Lieutenant Eleni Theodorou, Head of the External Affairs Department of the Public Relations Directorate, and Lambrini Kokkori, Officer for Middle East Affairs at the Directorate of International Relations.
Speeches were delivered by His Grace Bishop Christodoulos of Magnesia, conveying a message from His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, Consul General of Greece in Sydney George Skemperis, Lieutenant General Bouzos, and Cretan Association President Terry Saviolakis.
Historian Jim Claven delivered the keynote address, focusing on Greek Australian soldier James Zampelis (Dimitrios Zampelis) from Lefkada, who fought with ANZAC forces in Greece in 1941 and was killed in the Battle of Crete on 24 May 1941.
James Jordan, Chairman of the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign, delivered the vote of thanks, with Cleopatra Kounelli acting as Master of Ceremonies.
The event was attended by Group Captain Russel Barton, representing Air Commander Australia, alongside descendants and relatives of ANZAC soldiers who served in the Greek Campaign and the Battle of Crete.
