The promotion to the world community of the extremely significant role that the island
of Lemnos played during World War I, especially at the Gallipoli Campaign and the
modern Greek heritage which developed from the remnants of this international
event is the main aim of the Association “The Lemnos’ Friends of ANZAC”, which
was established in 2014.
Lemnos, with its strategic position in the Northern Aegean, was the headquarters of
the allied military forces of the Entente in their preparation for the Gallipoli campaign
in the spring of 1915. It was also responsible for the logistic and medical support for
the campaign as it developed. It was only three years since Lemnos had gained its
freedom from the Ottoman Empire and in essence, it was the first participation of the
modern Greek state as we know it, in a worldwide war. However, whereas Turkey
having joined the opposing side, has made use of the Gallipoli campaign to establish,
on the one hand, a thriving tourist industry and on the other hand to strengthen her
national prestige, Greece has done nothing to date to fully exploit the contribution of
the allied forces of the Entente to the positive outcome of WW1. Notably, also
undeveloped, remains Greece’s participation with the allies of the Entente, in the
operations in Thessaloniki and Western Macedonia and the salvaging of the
“Britannic”, sister vessel of the world famous “Titanic”, that was transformed during
the war into a floating hospital and was sunk by the enemy fleet at the Kea straights
In 2016, based on the program “ANZAC – The next 100 years”, the Association has
scheduled a series of events based on the premise that historical memories must be
preserved and passed on to the next generations
In order to promote this unknown side of modern Hellenic history and in turn to create
multiple benefits for our nation, on a national, cultural, financial and touristic level, the
“Lemnos’ Friends of ANZAC” has examined these historic details and has
subsequently developed a long term plan. The first phase of this plan has a three-
year duration and initially promotes the world at large, of the role that Lemnos played
during the Gallipoli campaign in the history of the British Commonwealth, France,
Russia, particularly in Australia and New Zealand that lost thousands of men and
women in the struggle for freedom as well as India, Canada, Egypt, UK, Ireland,
Turkey and Greece of course.
This three year plan has, as its focal point, the annual commemorations which take
place each year in April in Lemnos and in Greece in general, of the Gallipoli
campaign, while at the same time, and on an international perspective, events will be
organized to promote Lemnos’ role: historical research findings, congresses and
cultural events in cooperation with the War Memorial of Australia, Kings College of
London, the Commonwealth War Grave Commission, and international organizations
and institutions as well. A first priority of the Association is the appropriate
commemoration of the centenary of the “Armistice of Moudros”, and again to
present Greece’s role during WW1.
Thus, in April 2016, 101 years after the historical D Day, the following activities have
been scheduled to take place:
On the 20th of April, on Lemnos the relatives of those lost and buried on Lemnos
during 1915-1918 will be invited to the island for a ceremony organized in
cooperation with the Commonwealth War Grave Commission, the Imperial War
Museum of London, the Imperial War Museum of Australia and the War Museum of
Athens, to a remembrance ceremony. Reference shall be made to all those dead
soldiers, nurses and assistants that participated in one of the most bloody wars,
which, however, opened the path to the future to all nations.
On the 20th of April, there will also be an official commencement in Lemnos of the
international survey that was proposed at the World congress “WW1 in the
Mediterranean-ANZAC and the role of Lemnos”, by the Australian Archaeological
Institution of Sydney, and which will be carried out in cooperation with various
institutions and universities. This will be the guide to help us comprehend the times
during which the landing of the troops in Gallipoli took place, thus leading to a better
understanding of the specific role played by each of the participating allies in Lemnos
and also in Greece.
On the 21st of April, there will be a detailed presentation on the island of the
International project: “Lemnos through the last 100 years – Facing the next 100 years
of history”. The presentation will be given by Professors of the Greek academic
community who are already coordinating with international educational institutions
with the main intention being to activate the international community so that the
mistakes of the past become a better guiding light for a more peaceful future.
The Association will invite international recognized war veteran organizations and
other institutions that have a direct involvement with World War I, and in particular,
the ANZAC organizations around the world, to a two-day workshop, which will take
place on the island of Lemnos on 21-22 April.
On the 25th of April, members of the Association, accompanied by local officials, will
travel to Canakkale, Turkey, to participate in the commemoration ceremonies that will
take place there.
On the 27th May, at the Athens Musical Hall (Megaro), there will be the inauguration
of the project “Lemnos Culture, and Modern History”, a sound, music and optical
show performed by a team of well known Greek and international artists. The central
idea and focus of this show will be to present the culture of modern Greece, as it
developed through the years since the Gallipoli campaign until the present and the
influence of Lemnos in this.
To all the above mentioned events and actions, North Aegean Region, and the
Municipality of Lemnos island, Greece, is also cooperating and co-organizing those
events with our Association, taking the official Greek’s State position
All the above described plans and actions, have a final goal: The promotion of
cultural and social relationship caused to Limnos, during the Gallipoli
Campaign, and comprehensively in Greece the period 1915-1918 and
subsequent years.
This project development, can progress in three areas:
Development and creation of jobs, primarily in the processing time. (Siting
monuments, creation of thematic areas, development of recreational sites and
museums).
Creating a potential tourist destination, through culture, and developing a
series of actions for the coming years, aiming at the high income level of the
visitors of historical and cultural tourism, leveraging the creation of investment
at every level of business activity (hotels, marinas, development of thematic
cruise destinations, aviation, banking, etc.)
Creating growth model. Highlighting the relationships that existed and
methodology developed, and pointing resolutely intend to promote worldwide
cultural heritage of a continuity of ancient Greece, we touch on many areas of
our country that have achieved similar stories (Battle of Crete, Korean War
etc.) in order to move accordingly.
To make all the above happens, we have established a very powerful communication
plan, starting from February 2016. Our communication program is fully supported by
the Greek TV Networks (ERT,OTE-TV and OTE –HistoryTV , Makedonia TV,Center
TV Makedonia, Ellopia-TV,New York) Our internet TV Channel “LemnosCulture-TV”
wil star to operate since end of March from Lemnos and will through Internet around
the world. In that way we can show international what our island has to present and
its contribution to the world
To all the above mentioned events and actions, North Aegean Region, and the
Municipality of Lemnos island, Greece, is also cooperating and co-organizing those
events with our Association, taking the official Greek’s State position
The Project is supporting and co organizing with the North Aegean Region, The
Lemnos Municipality, The Lemnos’ Hoteliers Association and the Chamber of
Commerce of Lesvos –Lemnos Islands. Our Association also has the auspices of
H.E. The President of The Hellenic Republic ,Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos, and the
Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism , Ministry of Maritime Affair and Insular policy,
as well as “The Greek Tourism Organization”(EOT), the Ministry of Hellenic Rural
Development and Food, the Ministry of Development-General Secretariat for
Research and Technology.
Sponsorship Program ”Lemnos and its people”
The “Lemnos’ Friends of ANZAC” Association want with the upcoming development
because of the events of ANZAC, to create a legacy to future generations of how the
culture of the island was created, to highlight forms of professional or simple
everyday people, successful in operating anywhere in the world, is asking for the
support of all Lemnians for the successful preparing of this program. So we develop
a sponsorship program with a unique stimulus the origin of the donors which has to
be from Lemnos, people with boundless love for the island and its culture. This
sponsorship program is entitled "Lemnos and its People", and we ask from you to be
part of it with the amount of 2000,00 € as reinforcement.
What is this sponsorship? What will this sponsorship yield?
• The sponsor will have an honorary place in the events of the
Association to be held in April 2016 in Lemnos
• The sponsor will receive 2 prime tickets in the Association’s
event at the Athens Concert Hall, (Megaro Mousikis Athinon)
which will be performed with the support of the President of the
Greek Republic and the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, on
May 27, 2016
• Post prominently banner sponsorship (for a business) in the
press conference and the events that will take place in Lemnos in
April 2016 and the relevant forms of action version
• Special tribute space 10 page A3 for text and relevant pictures of
the sponsor, in the luxurious album that will release titled
:“Lemnos and its People ". This album will be edited by the
journalist of the Huffington Post Newspaper, Mr. Dimitris
Machairidis.
• 4 entrance tickets to the presentation reception of this special
album, which will take place on September 5, 2016, at the Varos
Village Hotel –Lemnos.
20 minutes of participation and presentation by the TV show
"Lemnos and its People" to be presented and directed by the
director of the National TV Channel ERT3, Mr. Nikos Volonaki.
Emissions will be shot in Lemnos, in the summer of 2016 and will
emit an hourly show of our online channel "LemnosCulture -TV",
which will be broadcast worldwide.
The sponsorship program because of its temporal particular nature, will be in
effect until April 18, 2016.
