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RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch Memorial Hall, 14A Ferrars Pl, South , Melbourne Vic 3205
RETURNED SOLDIER – “APOSTRATOS” English Newsletter Supplement - March 2014
Please email any newsletter content suggestions including photos you may have to Emanuel Karvelas at "[email protected]"
1
Dear Members and Friends of the RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch
A warm welcome to our first 2014 publication of our quarterly newsletter. There is a
lot of excitement in the buildup towards the 2015 Gallipoli Centenary. Our Sub-
Branch is actively involved in the planning of the Lemnos Gallipoli Statue which will
be erected at a location in the City of Port Phillip, not far from our club rooms.
The Sub-Branch congratulates our member Stephen Manos upon receiving the OAM
award for his many years of services to the Greek Community. We welcome to
Melbourne the new Greek Consul General Mrs Christina Simantiraki, whom we met
in February this year.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Returned Soldier “Apostratos” Newsletter.
Steve Kyritsis, President
25th
March 2014 - Greek Independence Day
Sub Branch Secretary Major Terry Kanellos hosted two wreath laying ceremonies. The first was at the Australian
Hellenic Memorial in Birdwood Avenue, the second was within the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance. The day
concluded with a light complimentary lunch back at our club rooms.
RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch Memorial Hall, 14A Ferrars Pl, South , Melbourne Vic 3205
RETURNED SOLDIER – “APOSTRATOS” English Newsletter Supplement - March 2014
Please email any newsletter content suggestions including photos you may have to Emanuel Karvelas at "[email protected]"
2
2013 Sub Branch Christmas Dance
Opa…, the event was an outstanding success.
Lots of dancing to the music of DJ George Dalaras.
2014 ANZAC Day Parade
As with every year, all Hellenic Sub-
Branch RSL members are invited to
march in the ANZAC Day parade.
Members are to assemble 11:30am at the
Princess Walk staging point for an
expected 12:00noon start. Princes Walk
is beside Federation Square on Swanston
St and opposite Flinders St train station.
Parade cars have been arranged for our
more senior members who find the
march a little challenging. Again this
year, a bus will be leaving from our
South Melbourne Clubrooms to the
march start point, at 11.00am sharp. At
the conclusion of the march, the bus will
pick up members at the corner St Kilda
Rd and Park St. We conclude with a
light complimentary lunch back at our
club rooms.
The Sub Branch would like to congratulate Ken Tsirigotis on his
promotion to Warrant Officer in the Australian Army. He is currently
posted to 4th
Brigade. Photo taken 25/Mar/2014 at the Hellenic Memorial.
A final reminder to members who have yet to pay your membership…., only $35…, Thank you.
RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch Memorial Hall, 14A Ferrars Pl, South , Melbourne Vic 3205
RETURNED SOLDIER – “APOSTRATOS” English Newsletter Supplement - March 2014
Please email any newsletter content suggestions including photos you may have to Emanuel Karvelas at "[email protected]"
3
George Makris 1945
We are saddened by the
passing of
Mr George Makris
17th
February 1925
to
17th
January 2014
The RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch
would like to pass on our
condolences to
his wife Despina and the
extended Makris family.
George at Anzac Day 2013
George Makris enlisted in the Royal Australian Air force on the 19th
March 1943. He served in what was then
known as Dutch New Guinea in the Pacific as a Leading Aircraftsman. George was a humble man and never really
spoke about the perils of Japanese bomber planes that harassed their base. To us, George was famous for his war
time story with the coconuts that involved him and a couple mates rubbing coconut oil in their hair for better looks.
Whilst asleep at night, the rats would gnaw at the coconut oil till eventually they became extremely sick. He
survived to tell the story and would quietly laugh it off with us over a cup of tea. George was respected and well
liked at the RSL. He attended many Hellenic Sub-Branch functions with his family. We will dearly miss him.
Date Milestones and Past Events 14
th December 2013 Hellenic Sub branch Christmas function.
19th
February 2014 Milestone - The bombing of Darwin that first occurred on the 19th
Feb 1942
25th
March 2014 Greek National Day
25Mar2014 Left – Mrs
Simantiraki
addresses the
audience.
Right – Sam
Mourtzas,
Dimitra
Petropoulos,
Theo Spanos
with Shrine
Guards.
RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch Memorial Hall, 14A Ferrars Pl, South , Melbourne Vic 3205
RETURNED SOLDIER – “APOSTRATOS” English Newsletter Supplement - March 2014
Please email any newsletter content suggestions including photos you may have to Emanuel Karvelas at "[email protected]"
4
We still have copies available
for purchase from our Sub-
Branch or order by post.
“Greek-Australians in the
Vietnam War 1962-72” ($25).
“Greek-Australians in the
Australian Forces WWI &
WWII” ($40).
Proceeds from all book sales
are donated to the RSL
Hellenic Sub-Branch.
Ms Dora Bakoyani at the Australian Hellenic Memorial
Early this year, Greek MP and ex Greek Foreign Minister
Ms Dora Bakoyani visited the Memorial and laid a wreath
for all Australian, New Zealand and Greek Servicemen
that fought and died in the WWII Greek Campaign of
1940-41.
Pictured (left to right) – Con Katsambanis, Pantelis
Kalimnakis, Dennis Patisteas, Dora Bakoyani, Steve
Kyritsis and Tony Tsourdalakis.
Bombing of Darwin 19th
February 1942 and The
Darwin Defenders
Darwin was bombed on the 19th
of February 1942 by
the Japanese Air Force three months after the start of
the war in the Pacific. The attack was only the
beginning of a series of Japanese bombing raids across
all of northern Australia that lasted almost until the
end of the war. War had never been fought on
Australian soil before and Australians had never
before seen bombs fall within their borders or seen
civilians lose their lives at the hands of the enemy. The
first raid on Darwin was at 9.58am on the 19th
February 1942. Over 200.000 Australian Servicemen
served in Darwin, till the end of WWII.
Every year across Australia on the 19th
February, The
Darwin Defenders Association commemorates the
bombing of Darwin. This year, I was fortunate to
attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Melbourne
Shrine of Remembrance and managed to catch up with
a number of Darwin Defender veterans, all of them
now well into their 90s.
Steve Kyritsis
RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch Memorial Hall, 14A Ferrars Pl, South , Melbourne Vic 3205
RETURNED SOLDIER – “APOSTRATOS” English Newsletter Supplement - March 2014
Please email any newsletter content suggestions including photos you may have to Emanuel Karvelas at "[email protected]"
5
Date Future Events
Friday
25th
April 2014 ANZAC Day
3:00pm Sunday 27th
April 2014
Sub-Branch Annual General Meeting – All members are invited to attend.
1.00pm Sunday
4th
May 2014
Mothers Day function at the Sub-Branch. All members and friends are
invited. Lots of food, drinks, great music and Dancing. Only $30 per person.
Reserve your tickets early
Saturday
28th
June 2014
Dinner dance function at the St Kilda town hall commemorating the role of
Lemnos to the WWI Gallipoli campaign.
We are saddened by the passing
of
Mr Basil George Hayler
On 24th
February 2014 aged 92
A WWII Greek Campaign
Veteran, Basil was a regular
special guest at many Greek
Community Battle of Crete
wreath laying ceremonies.
The RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch
would like to pass on our
condolences to
the extended Hayler family.
Basil would recount
years later that whilst on
shore leave in 1941 his
memories of the Nazi
invasion of Greece.
“When the Greeks were
invaded by the Germans,
I was standing up on the
Acropolis watching the
harbour being bombed."
Below is an extract of an article that featured in the Neos Kosmos Newspaper on 24th Feb 2014
Basil was one of the last survivors of the WWII cruiser HMAS Perth - the Royal Australian Navy warship that
played a major role in the Greek and Crete campaigns of WWII and which was eventually sunk by the Japanese. In
1938 Basil enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy, aged 16. In March 1941 the Perth took part in the deployment of
Allied forces to Greece, making two voyages with troops from Alexandria to Piraeus.
After playing a significant part in the Battle of Cape Matapan, where Allied forces destroyed five Italian battleships,
by late April 1941 HMAS Perth was evacuating Allied troops from the mainland, taking off troops from Porto Rafti
and Tolos. In May, the Perth took part in the evacuation from Crete. Having picked up 1188 troops from Sfakia on
May 29, as it made its way to Alexandria it was subject to repeated enemy attacks. One bomb which penetrated the
boiler room killed 13 crew and passengers.
RSL Hellenic Sub-Branch Memorial Hall, 14A Ferrars Pl, South , Melbourne Vic 3205
RETURNED SOLDIER – “APOSTRATOS” English Newsletter Supplement - March 2014
Please email any newsletter content suggestions including photos you may have to Emanuel Karvelas at "[email protected]"
6
Basil and his ship made it to Alexandria. Shortly after, he was transferred to HMAS Stuart which was deployed on
'the spud run' - ferrying vital supplies to the besieged Allied forces in Tobruk. The move to the Stuart was fateful. In
March 1942, HMAS Perth was sunk by the Japanese in the Battle of Sunda Strait, with the loss of more than 340
lives. In May 1944 whilst on leave in Australia, he married Pauline Kirkham. They had two children, seven
grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.
WWII veterans Basil
Hayler and Norman
Maddock lay a wreath
in the Cretan town of
Rethymno at the
Hellenic-Australian
Memorial during the
2011 commemoration
of the 70th
Anniversary of the
Battle of Crete.
Photo #110520 – taken
by Corporal Janine
Fabre, 1st Joint Public
Affairs Unit, ADF.
28th
October 2013 Wreath Laying Ceremony
Thesaloniki Greece
Pictured is Mr
Dimitrios
Harizanis laying a wreath
at the Military
Cemetery
“
”
on behalf of the
Hellenic Sub
Branch of the
RSL in front of
military and
civilian
dignitaries.
2013 Raffle Winners
Congratulations to the following
winners of the raffle which was
drawn at our Christmas function:-
1st prize - Mr K Pipilikas (#0860)
2nd
prize -Mrs E Potamidis(#0870)
3rd
prize - Mr G Peroulas (#1312)
4th
Prize - Mr G Verginis (#1353)
5th
prize - Mrs R Hronis (#0332)
Thank you to all
that supported our raffle.
Next Edition Returned Soldier “Apostratos” – Due June 2014