Day: May 15, 2013

Diggers of Greece begins

Vevi and Corinth targeted in attempt to locate troops buried anonymously

A concerted effort is being made to find and identify the remains of Australian soldiers who fought and died during the Greek campaign in WWII, and who 72 years later still lie buried in unmarked graves.

Research being led by a team of amateur historians in Melbourne and Sydney is seeking to unravel the mystery of 26 Australian troops killed-in-action and who are unaccounted for, who were reportedly buried by the Germans in April 1941 as Nazi forces swept through northern Greece.One member of the group, Mr Lachlan McPherson, believes the remains of more than 20 soldiers of the 2/8th Australian Infantry Battalion who fought at Vevi are likely to be located near the battle site.Mr McPherson told Neos Kosmos: “I’m convinced that there are more than 20 soldiers from the 2/8th Battalion buried in unmarked graves.

“We have a list of around 26 Australians unaccounted for who we think are there.”Mr McPherson travelled to Canberra last month to present the group’s findings to the Australian War Memorial as part of a campaign to bring the matter to the attention of the Australian government.

“We want the government to take some action on this,” said Mr McPherson.

The Australian Army’s Unrecovered War Casualties unit is responsible for investigating assertions of the discovery of Australian wartime human remains and the whereabouts of alleged burial locations of Australian servicemen.Vevi, 16 kilometres south of the Yugoslav border, was the site of the first engagement between Australian and German troops during the Greek campaign in WWII.

Standing at the narrow end of the Monastir Valley and surrounded by steep hills, the Vevi Pass was in theory a naturally strong defensive position.On 9 April 1941, troops from the 2/4th and 2/8th Australian Infantry Battalions, as well as British, Greek and NZ units began taking up positions at Vevi. Their job was to hold the advancing Germans long enough to allow the withdrawal of Greek forces in Macedonia and Albania.

The Germans first attacked Allied forward positions two days later and despite being exhausted from a long march and bitterly cold weather, the 2/8th managed at first to fend them off.Confronted with a heavier German onslaught the next day, the battalion was outflanked and unable to hold its ground. A confused withdrawal resulted, which effectively destroyed the 2/8th as an effective fighting force for the rest of the campaign.

Although the Vevi Pass was not held as long as was intended, its defence achieved its aims.

Allied casualties at Vevi are estimated at some 60 killed-in-action, with 28 Australian soldiers dead. 480 British Commonwealth troops were taken prisoner.

The group’s research has also recently revealed details of possible unmarked Australian war graves at Corinth.

At least 12 soldiers of the 2/6th Battalion who were killed in the battle for the Corinth Canal are believed to lie in unmarked graves near Corinth dug by the Germans.Lambis Englezos, instigator of the campaign which located and identified the remains of 250 Commonwealth soldiers who died at Fromelles in WWI (who is not involved with the Vevi or Corinth research) told Neos Kosmos that all credible projects which attempt to find, identify and give soldiers a proper marked burial place should be commended.

“We have a moral obligation to do this. If you can find your war dead you have to recover them. They can’t be a financial or logistical inconvenience.

“If the research is solid the officials will take it up and look for it,” said Mr Englezos.”If you lose someone, you’ve got to get them. Don’t leave them in anonymous ground. Give them their dignity, and hopefully their identity.”

Source: TheAustralians

HINDMARSH MP Steve Georganas has defended a $5 million grant to a local Greek Orthodox church affected by aircraft noise.

Mr Georganas said the grant to the St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Thebarton to install soundproofing, which was announced in last night’s Federal Budget, was not “pork barrelling” ahead of the upcoming federal election.

“`This was a program put in place … by the former Howard government in 2000-01, and we’re just continuing the program.”

The church is currently in Mr Georganas’ marginal electorate of Hindmarsh, but following a redistribution will fall into the seat of Adelaide from the 2013 election, which is held by Employment Participation minister Kate Ellis.

Instead, Mr Georganas said the grant – which was provided as part of the Adelaide Airport Noise Amelioration Program – followed money given to insulate 648 homes, along with schools and other public buildings in the area from the impact of aircraft noise.

Mr Georganas said other churches, including the St James Anglican Church in Mile End, the St George Orthodox Church in Thebarton and the St Mary and Anba Bishoy Coptic Orthodox Church in Cowandilla, had also received funding.

Mr Georganas said he had advocated for funding on the church’s behalf, but it was also a move strongly supported by the local community.

The installation of soundproofing at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will be offset by the collection of a noise levy at Adelaide airport.

City of West Torrens councillor and St Nicholas parishioner Arthur Mangos said the church had campaigned for funding to soundproof the church for several years, and were pleased their turn had now come.

“The parish has been very patient, the community has been very patient,” he said.

He said noise from flights regularly disrupted services and were so loud that parishioners could not hear themselves speak.

“I’m looking forward to the day I can attend a service and enjoy it without hearing a jet flying overhead.”

Prime Minister Julia Gillard this morning told ABC Radio providing the grant was the right decision.

“The airport levies are paid around the nation, and yes, some of that money is used to deal with noise for people who live in the vicinity of the airport,” she said.

“If I was asked is it fair for people who live with aircraft noise get some alleviation from that aircraft nose, I would say yes, it’s fair.”