Representatives of Melbourne’s Greek community took part in the annual Anzac Day service at Melbourne’s Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL, located in one of Australia’s pre-eminent Greek community precincts.
This month is the 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Greece and the ensuing Greek campaign, which saw over 17,000 Australians serve as part of the 62,000 strong Allied force sent to assist Greece in its defence.
One of those Australian’s was a young man from Oakleigh, Private George Foot of the 2/7th Battalion, whose story was published in Neos Kosmos earlier this month.
This year’s annual service was held indoors and in a COVID-19 safe environment.
Greek community members representing organizations from northern Greece, across the Peloponnese and the Aegean laid wreaths in unison in honour of George Foot and all who served in the Greek campaign.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr Lee Tarlamis OAM MP said that it was important to remind local communities of the links between Greece and Australia through the Anzac tradition.
“George Foot was a local Oakleigh boy who volunteered in WW2 and served bravely in the Greek campaign, evading capture, escaping from the Germans on the mainland with the help of local villagers in the Mani region of the Peloponnese and was successfully evacuated to Crete by the Royal Navy.”
Mr Tarlamis added that unlike many of his comrades who were killed, wounded or captured during the Greek campaign, thankfully George survived the war and returned to live in nearby Mount Waverley.
“George was one of thousands of young Australians who answered the call to defend democracy and freedom in WW2, a call that would take him all the way to Greece. His service, those of his comrades and those who helped him should be remembered and honoured in George’s home town,” he added.
Mr Tarlamis said that he and the other groups were glad to accept the invitation of the Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL to take part in this special event. Mr Jim Saisanas, Ms Celene Coumaros and Ms Denise Zapantis added that as Australians whose heritage comes from the regions of Greece where George served they were particularly honoured to be among this representing their communities at Sunday’s event.
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Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL has been at the forefront of local RSL’s keen to build awareness of the Hellenic link to Anzac. The Club walls are adorned with photographs of the Anzacs in Greece, from Lemnos in 1915 to the Acropolis in 1941, donated to the RSL a few years ago by myself and local MP’s Steven Dimopoulos and Claire O’Neill.
Amongst those laying wreaths were representatives of Melbourne’s Pammessinian Brotherhood “Papaflessas”, the Agios Dimitrios “Olympou” Philanthropic & Cultural League, the Pan-Argoliki Philanthropic Brotherhood “To Palamidi”and the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee. The group thanked Oakleigh-Carnegie RSL President Mr Douglas Pendergast for the invitation to take part in the Anzac Day service.
Jim Claven is a trained historian, freelance writer and author, as well as Secretary of the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee. He is the author of Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed and the forthcoming Grecian Adventure: Anzac Trail Stories & Photographs – Greece 1941. Private George Foot’s account of his escape from the Greek mainland can be found in Australian War Memorial archives. He can be contacted on jimclaven@yahoo.com.au
