On the eve of Australia’s Remembrance Day, November 11, Australia Post in collaboration with the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand and the Battle of Crete & Greece Commemorative Council of Victoria, will release a limited edition commemorative medal and commemorative envelope marking the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete in 1941.
The medal is launched as a reminder for the memory of the hundreds of ANZACS that made the sacrifice and eventually paid the ultimate price and never returned home. It is made of zinc alloy and finished in silver with a gross weight of 70 grams, a thickness of 4.2mm and a maximum size of 60mm in diameter.
The envelope on the other hand will continue to serve the future generations of Australian Youth as a reminder of the strong bonds that exist amongst the Greek and Australian people for years to come.
The initiative follows the release of the commemorative Anzac biscuit tins in 2021 by the Victorian Returned Service League and the Major League Brands.
Tony Tsourdalakis, President of the Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand, thanked Australia Post and the Philatelic Department for all the work they did to produce the medal sharing his excitement that over 2000 pieces will be distributed across the nation giving Australians the chance to purchase one as a collectable.
Sharing his gratitude, the chairman of the Battle of Crete & Greece Commemorative Council of Victoria Mr. Jim Papadimitriou said that “these collectors’ items come at the right time, as we commemorate Remembrance Day, putting a perfect closure to all the events that were hosted during 2021 and 2022 to mark the important anniversary of the 80 years since the Battle of Crete”.
Australia Post Manager of Philatelic, Cheryl Roy, paid tribute to her late father Frank Colledge Roy, who served on Crete praising the respect and the warmth he received from the people on the island, especially after what they endured in 1941.
“This was small but very important way of keeping their memory alive,” she said commending the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand’s work on a National level to preserve and honour the lessons of the Battle of Crete eighty years on.
