Lieutenant Commander Andrea Argirides will be in Greece as an interpreter and cultural advisor to support a large Australian Royal Navy delegation on the HMAS Success.
The Australian battle tanker will be in Lemnos and Athens to mark the Anzac Centenary services and after reaching the Athenian port will be open to visitors on 24 April from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm.
Lieutenant Commander Argirides will be joining the Royal Australian Navy in an official capacity, assisting the Chief of Navy and facilitating communications between the Greek and Australian Navy in both Lemnos and Athens.
It’s Lieutenant Commander Argirides first trip overseas with the Chief of Navy in this capacity, and she says she’s honoured to take up the post.
“I am honoured and humbled to have been given this amazing opportunity to represent my country, my service and to commemorate the Centenary of ANZAC on board of one of our Navy ships at the Port of Piraeus in Athens,” she tells Neos Kosmos.
“I am very moved by this special privilege to have been selected for such an important role. I am so proud to be an Australian naval officer with Greek Cypriot heritage.”
It is the first time the HMAS Success has docked on Greek soil since 2005. The tanker carries a crew of 235 and has been deployed in the Middle East region since December 2014, conducting operations under the Combined Maritime Forces and under NATO.
The vessel will be part of Greece’s numerous commemorative events to mark Anzac Day.
A significant Greek and Australian military, government and community presence will be in Lemnos from April 17 to attend the events and mark the special occasion.
On Friday, the Australian Embassy will unveil a plaque for Canadian and other Commonwealth World War I nurses at Portianos Commonwealth Cemetery.
On Saturday at 5.00 pm Greek time, a sunset memorial service at Moudros Commonwealth Cemetery will take place, followed by a memorial service on Sunday at 10.45 am at the Portianos Commonwealth Cemetery.
A major Greek Australian memorial service will take place on April 20 at 3.30pm at Moudros Port.
On Anzac Day (25 April) the official Anzac Day service will take place at the Phaleron Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Athens. Open to all who want to honour the courage and sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand servicemen and women who fought and died on Greek soil, the service will commence at 11.00 am.