Push to screen Anzac The Greek Chapter documentary in Kalamata - Neos Kosmos (2024)

Recent talks have advanced proposals for the screening in Greece of the unique new Australian documentary on the Anzacs in the Greek campaign. The Municipality of Kalamata is joining that push.

Kalamata played a key role in the Anzac story of the 1941 Greek campaign. Its port was one of the major evacuation locations for Allied troops as the campaign on the mainland draw to a close. Thousands of Allied troops were successfully evacuated by Allied warships. Many of these troops were Australian and New Zealand. Kalamata was the site of the last major engagement of the campaign on the mainland with the Allied victory at the Battle of Kalamata Waterfront. While the fall of the city to the advancing Germans saw thousands of Allied soldiers fall into German captivity, hundreds of others successfully escaped, many to the small fishing villages of the Mani coast from where they were evacuated by British warships. The bravery of Allied soldiers would see them awarded significant military honours for their service at Kalamata, with New Zealand soldier Sergeant Jack Hinton being awarded the Victoria Cross, Victorians Captain Albert Gray the Military Cross and Private Max Wood the Military Medal and British Major Geddes the Distinguished Service Order.

Allied soldiers wrote of the support of the local people, offering them cake and brandy as they marched towards their campsites on the edge of the city. Some like the Victorian Private Syd Grant would be so moved by that support that he would re-name his family farm in Victoria simply “Kalamata” in honour of the support he’d received from the locals during this final stage of the campaign.

Kalamata and its people are rightly proud of their city’s part in the Greek campaign. They are host to the Greek Campaign memorial erected by the UK Brotherhood of Greek Campaign Veterans (of which I am an honorary member) at which they hold an important and well attended annual service. Local historian, the late Nikos Zervas, not only wrote a book on the role of Kalamata in WW2 (which has been translated from Greek to English by the UK Brotherhood of Greek Campaign Veterans) but also took part in the annual Greek Campaign commemorations at Kalamata. A group of dedicated locals – Panagiotis Andrianopoulos, Sotiris Theodoropoulos, Ilias Bitsanis and Vassilis Bakopoulos – have also created and held a Greek campaign walking tour of the town, having identified the key sites connected to the Allied presence in the city. A new plaque in honour of the Battle of Kalamata Waterfront was created by myself and Melbourne’s Pammessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas and we also collaborated on the publication of my book Grecian Adventure, which included references to the role of Kalamata in the Greek campaign. Athanasios Vasilopoulos the Mayor of Kalamata, has also visited Melbourne, toured the Victorian Parliament organised by Lee Tarlamis OAM MP and expressed support for the continuing association between Australia and Kalamata through the remembrance of its role in the Greek campaign.

This is the context for my recent discussions with the Kalamata Municipality to advance of a range of local commemorative projects, including the proposal to screen the Anzac The Greek Chapter documentary in the city. The meeting was facilitated by Steve Gotsis of Melbourne’s Pammessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas.

Push to screen Anzac The Greek Chapter documentary in Kalamata - Neos Kosmos (1)

The high-powered meeting included senior members of the Mayor’s team led by Deputy Mayor (Tourism & Sport) Giorgos Lazaridis. Also present were the Deputy Mayor (Strategic Planning & Climate Neutrality) Vassilis Papaefstathiou, Mr Ilias Kalfakakos (Technical Adviser Finance & Tourism) and Mr Nasos Makios (Technical Advisor Energy & Circular Economy) and Deputy Mayor Papaefstathiou is also involved in organizing the Kalamata Documentary Film Festival. I was accompanied by Vicki Kyritsis, Director of the Greek Community of Melbourne Board, along with local commemorative colleagues Panagiotis Andrianopoulos and Sotiris Theodoropoulos.

There was much support for the proposed screening next year as part of the proposed Greek campaign commemorations in April, possibly on the anniversary of the battle of Kalamata waterfront. This interest was enhanced by the fact that Kalamata is included in the documentary through the inclusion of Private Syd Grant’s evocative photographs of local townsfolk with Allied soldiers. Deputy Mayor Papaefstathiou also proposed that the documentary be submitted for inclusion in next year’s Kalamata Documentary Film Festival to be held in November 2025. Discussion occurred around how to facilitate the inclusion of the necessary of Greek language subtitles.

Discussion also covered the possible relocation of the Battle of Kalamata Waterfront commemorative plaque to a site more connected with the actual battle location. Details were also shared with the city officials on the proposed Greek campaign commemorative events at Kardamyli and Trahila next year on 30 April-1 May, which it is hoped would attract a significant number of dignitaries, veteran’s family representatives and others. A number of Australian politicians have expressed an interest in attending Anzac services in Greece at this time, including the Australian Trade Minister and a group of Victorian politicians led by Lee Tarlamis OAM MP.

It was proposed to screen the Anzac The Greek Chapter in Kalamata around 28 April to complement the events proposed at Kardamyli and Trahila as well as the traditional Anzac Day service at Phaleron War Cemetery in Athens. It is hoped this would also attract a similar attendance. The screening could be associated with a commemorative service at the possible new Battle of Kalamata Waterfront commemorative plaque should it be successfully re-located as well as holding the Kalamata Greek Campaign Walking Tour. A screening in Kalamata at this time would also complement current proposals to screen the documentary in Athens (25 April 2025) and Kardamyli/Trahila (30 April – 1 May 2025).

Much work remains to be done to bring these proposals to a reality but the first steps have been taken. Along with Melbourne’s Pammessinian Brotherhood Papaflessas and the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee, Looking forward to working together with the Kalamata Municipality to see Kalamata play an enhanced role in Greece’s annual Anzac Day and Greek campaign commemorations.

Jim Claven OAM is a trained historian, freelance writer and published author who has researched the Anzac trail in Greece across both world wars. He is the author of Grecian Adventure which recounts some of the Anzac history of the 1941 Greek campaign and was recently the Associate Producer of the new documentary Anzac The Greek Chapter on the Greek campaign. He has worked to have a series of plaques erected across Greece commemorating locations connected with the 1941 campaign. He thanks Steve Gotsis for facilitating his meeting with the Kalamata Municipality. He can be contacted via email – jimclaven@yahoo.com.au.

Push to screen Anzac The Greek Chapter documentary in Kalamata - Neos Kosmos (2024)
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