The Service of Commemoration this year took place Tuesday 19th May, at the Memorial in the Railway Park. The weather was dry but not as warm as in some previous years.

There were eight speeches this year. The first was given by the Mayor, Mr Athanasios Vasilopoulos. This was followed by Mr Kostas Vlasis, Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports; Mr Miltos Chrysomalis, Member of Parliament representing the Greek Government; Mr Stathis Anastasopoulos, Deputy Governor of Messinia, representing that Peloponnese Region; Captain Sam Law, Royal Navy, Defence Attaché, representing the UK Government; Mr Lachlan Scully, Deputy Ambassador of Australia representing the Australian Embassy;  Mr Dejan Mackovic, Consul, Serbian Embassy who gave  details of Serbia’s involvement in the mainland Greek Campaign and Janet Parkin. Last to speak was Mr Panagiotis Lyras, President of the Council of the Municipal Community of Kalamata, who gave an excellent historical account of the events of April 1941.

Barry Parkin gave the oration. Laurel wreaths were laid by the Mayor and other dignitaries, and poppy tributes were laid by Captain Sam Law and the following Brotherhood representatives:  Doug (Buster) Beckett, in Remembrance of the Prisoners of War; Mrs Margaret Stanbridge on behalf of the Widows; Paul Hadwin In Memory of Deceased Members; David Sanderson on behalf of the Brotherhood of Veterans of the 1941 Greek Campaign; and Mr Carl Shute on behalf of the British Residents of Kalamata.  A poppy tribute was also laid by Mr Dimitrios Petrelis, an honorary member of the Brotherhood, representing Australian veterans.

Buster (Beckett) again made small (nine inch) wooden crosses – 50 this year – which were fixed to the railings behind the Memorial – most of which were dedicated to a particular veteran.

The town band was in attendance.  They played the national anthems of Great Britain, Australia, Serbia and Greece. We then adjourned to the cafeteria area of the Railway Park for refreshments – generously hosted, as usual, by the Kalamata City Council.

A video of the whole service can be viewed on YouTube see link below.