Stand with me Achilles – Remembering Lemnos 1915-16
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
Historian Jim Claven OAM will deliver his first presentation at Melbourne’s Hellenic Museum next month.
The event will see Claven return to his original area of the Australian-Hellenic connection, the significant yet often overlooked role of the Greek Island of Lemnos during the Gallipoli campaign of 1915-1916.
The presentation will include references to his more recent researches into Lemnos and Gallipoli.
Claven will explain how Lemnos served as the pivotal forward base, hosting soldiers’ rest camps, field hospitals, and Australia’s dedicated nurses.
Attendees will learn about the 148 diggers laid to rest on the island, among the 1,300 Allied graves, and the historical significance of Lemnos as the site of the armistice that concluded the First World War in the east.
He will explore the vibrant social dynamics between Australian troops and Greek islanders, and delve into his and others efforts to establish an Anzac Trail across Greece, including his involvement in the Australian Government’s Lemnos Remembrance Trail project.
Audiences will be given the opportunity to uncover a lesser-known chapter of Anzac history.
Neos Kosmos readers would be aware of Claven, a trained historian who holds BA and MA degrees from Melbourne’s Monash University.
He is a freelance writer and published author who has been researching the link between Hellenes and the Anzacs for over a decade, both in Australia and abroad.
Amongst many other commemorative projects, Claven has worked on the creation of the Lemnos Gallipoli Memorial in Albert Park, the Australian Pier Memorial on Lemnos, the new Australian Government-funded Lemnos Remembrance Trail, as well as both the Lemnos and Imbros pictorial exhibitions.
His most recent publications are Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed (2019), Grecian Adventure (2021) and From Imbros Over The Sea (2023). He has also contributed to Mates & Allies: A Tribute to the bonds forged between Australians and Greeks during the Battle of Crete. He was recently awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to veterans and community history.
Attendees will also be able to peruse and possibly purchase a copy of Claven’s major publication on the role of Lemnos in the Gallipoli campaign entitled Lemnos & Gallipoli Revealed.
The session will run one hour, 45-minute presentation with 15 minutes of Q&A.
When: Sunday May 2, 7pm
Where: Hellenic Museum, 280 William St, Melbourne.
Bookings: Visit the Hellenic Museum website
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
