In order to commemorate those who suffered as prisoners in captivity during Australia’s involvement in wars over the 20th century, the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial was established in 2004. Each year, an annual wreath-laying ceremony is held in order to remember these prisoners.

This year’s ceremony took place on the 8 February at the memorial site. More than 2,000 people attended the event, including 50 attendees from the Hellenic RSL.

Amongst the 36,000 names etched into the 130-metre long granite memorial wall are the names of 29 Greek Australians who were captured during the Second World War. These prisoners were deprived of personal privileges and liberty at the hands of either a common enemy and/or a neutral or non-combatant country during war, in patriotic defence of their country. Furthermore, 10 Greek Australians died as prisoners during the Second World War.

The memorial site, where the ceremony takes place, is located at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens and is used to commemorate the pain and suffering that all prisoners of these wars endured. The site also remembers the thousands of mates left behind during war and the sacrifice of families back home in Australia.

The site’s structure holds a particular sense of symbolism, signifying that all prisoners embarked upon a journey of patriotism, and the etching of names onto the granite wall with no rank, number or enlistment detail stands as an understanding that all prisoners of war are equal. Furthermore, the structure of the site incorporates a stone garden journey to symbolise the great lengths to which participants had to travel to take part in the war.

The annual ceremony is yet another significant way in which the importance of the Greek Australian alliance in the face of war is and will be honoured and commemorated for years to come.

Featured below are the names of the 29 Greek Australian prisoners of war in the Second World War:

ALEXANDRATOS DIOMEDES, from Victoria, age 20. (RAF) Germany.
BLACK (MAVROKEFALOS), John, from Victoria, age 26. (RAF) Germany.
BYLOS, VINCENT, from NSW (+) age 22. (ARMY) Singapore
CAIMANOS, JOHN, from NSW age 38. (ARMY) Thailand
COLIVAS, GEORGE, from NSW age 19. (ARMY) Thailand-Singapore-Japan
COMINO, JACK, (+) from NSW age 23. (ARMY) Thailand
DALAS, FREDERICK, (+) from NSW age 30. (ARMY) Singapore
DEMUS, HENRY, (+) from NSW age 21. (ARMY) Sandakan-Borneo
DIMOPOULOS, PETER, from NSW age 21. (ARMY) Singapore
DOULIS, MICHAEL, from W.A age 32. (ARMY) Singapore
FREELEAGUS, CHARLES, from QLD age 22 (ARMY) Burma-Thailand
GEORGE (PAPAGEORGIOU) CONSTANTINOS, from Victoria age 21. (RAF) France
GLYTSOS, EMANUEL, from NSW age 20. (ARMY) Singapore
HARRIS (VAMVAKARIS) GEORGE (+) from Victoria age 33. (ARMY) Singapore
KARIKIOS, DIMITRIOS, from NSW age 27. (ARMY) Changi-Thailand
KARCOES, NORMAN, from NSW age 21. (ARMY) Singapore
KYRIAKOS (KYROS) JACK GEORGE, from NT age 20. (ARMY) Malaya-Singapore
LIKIARD (LIKIARDOPOULOS) SOCRATES, (+) from QLD age 20 (HMAS Perth) China Sea
MANUSU, IVAN, NSW (+) from NSW age 30. (ARMY) Thailand
MAVROTHALASITIS, GEORGE, (+) from W.A age24. (ARMY) Singapore-China Sea
MESOLOGETES (MOLLOY) JOHN, from NSW age 21. (ARMY) Singapore
NICHOLAOU, ANTONIS, (+) from QLD age 38. (ARMY) Singapore-Japan
NICHOLAOU (NICHOLSON) COSTAS, from NSW age 22. (ARMY) Singapore-Malaya
OMIRIDES PETER VASILIOS, from W.A age 20. (ARMY) Malaya-Thailand
PANAOTIE, JOHN, from Victoria age 29. (ARMY) Borneo
PANIOTI, NICHOLAS From Victoria age 21. (ARMY) Singapore
PAPANGELOPOULOS (ANGEL) LEONIDAS, from NSW age 39. (ARMY) Singapore
RAFT,(RAFTOPOULOS)STANLEY, (+) from NSW age 23. (ARMY) Malaya-Thailand-China Sea
VAFIOPULOUS, GEORGE, from NSW age 23. (ARMY) Malaya-Changi.