- Type of Memorial
- Garden
- WMR Reference Number
- 13638
- Description
- A garden which forms an outside chapel with a Greek stone and marble altar as its centerpiece. A marble tablet with a commemoration in gold lettering is located at the base of the altar. The altar is surrounded by paved and gravelled sections with wooden benches. On each side of the approach to the altar are two polished granite columns: one bearing the simple inscription of "Greek Grove", the other with an inscription relating to a naval action on 27 April 1941, the latter including an engraving of a battleship at its base. A rectangular bronze plaque is inset into the top of a stone plinth with an inscription in English and Greek on the left- and right-hand sides respectively, inscribed within a decorative Greek-style border. Two further metal plaques include: one decorated with the crossed flags of the United Kingdom and Greece, commemorating men from Britain, Australia and New Zealand who lost their lives defending Greec; another fixed to a wooden board, commemorating the Founder and President of the Brotherhood. The perimeter hedge of the garden/chapel has a Mediterranean planting theme.
- Inscription
- [Altar]: THE FIRST TREE IN THE/ NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM/ WAS PLANTED HERE IN THE GREEK CHAPEL BY/ MR EDWIN HORLINGTON AND/ THE REV. RICHARD PALMER,/ IN THE PRESENCE OF CLLR. JOHN WILSON,/ CHAIRMAN OF LICHFIELD DISTRICT COUNCIL,/ ON 5:10:96 TO COMMEMORATE ALL THOSE/ WHO TOOK PART IN THE GREEK CAMPAIGNS/ THAT GREECE MAY BE FREE,/ ON BEHALF OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF/ VETERANS OF THE GREEK CAMPAIGN./ MAY GOD BE WITH THEM ALWAYS. [Greek translation also on plaque.]
[Tablet]: IN MEMORY OF ALL THOSE/ WHO TOOK PART IN THE/ GREEK CAMPAIGNS/ 1940-1945/ THEY WILL BE REMEMBERED
[Column] : REMEMBERED/ WITH PRIDE/ AND/ GRATITUDE/ MEN OF ALL/ THREE SERVICES/ LOST FROM/ SS SLAMAT/ HMS DIAMOND/ HMS WRYNECK/ SUNK BY/ ENEMY AIRCRAFT/ OFFGREECE/ ON 27 APRIL 1941/ THE/ SURVIVORS WERE/ 1 NAVAL OFFICER/ 41 NAVAL RATINGS/ 8 SOLDIERS
[Plaque]: GREECE 1941/ NOT FORGOTTEN MEN/ FROM ALL SERVICES/ BRITISH, AUSTRALIAN AND NEWZEALANDERS/ THAT LOST THEIR LIVES/ DEFENDING THE COUNTRY./ MAY THEY REST IN PEACE.
[Plaque]: IN MEMORY OF/ EDWIN HORLINGTON MBE/(1919-2006)/ FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE BROTHERHOOD/ OF VETERANS OF THE GREEK CAMPAIGN 1940-1941/ SOLE DESIGNER OF THIS GREEK SITE/
THE BROTHERHOOD OF VETERANS OF THE GREEK CAMPAIGN WAS BORN IN APRIL 1991 - THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE/ SURRENDER OF OUR FORCES AT KALAMATA IN THE GREEK PELOPONNESE. IT WAS HERE THAT 10,000 MEN WERE CAPTURED/ AND DESTINED TO SUFFER THE DEGRADATION OF BEING PRISONERS OF WAR./
IN WRITING MY EXPERIENCE OF THE GREEK CAMPAIGN AT THE REQUEST OF MY REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION, I ADVERTISED IN/ THE MEDIA FOR VETERANS WHO COULD CORROBORATE AND AUTHENTICATE THE INFORMATION. ENCOURAGED BY THE NUMBERS/ AND ENTHUSIASM OF THE RESPONDENTS WE DISCUSSED AND CARRIED OUT, IN COOPERATION WITH THE MUNICIPALITY OF/ KALAMATA, A PILGRIMAGE TO HONOUR, WITH A MILITARY CEREMONY, THOSE WE LEFT BEHIND./
THE ORGANISATION GREW AND FUNDS WERE RAISED TO ERECT A PERMANENT MEMORIAL IN THE AREA WHERE THE LAST BATTLE/ FOR KALAMATA HAD TAKEN PLACE. THE LAND WAS ALLOCATED BY THE GREEK AUTHORITIES ALONG WITH A GENEROUS/ DONATION. ALL THIS WAS ACHIEVED IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS FROM COMMENCEMENT./
HERE, IN THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM, AT OUR CHAPEL FOR THE BROTHERHOOD, I PLANTED THE FIRST TREE ON/ 5 OCTOBER 1996 TO COMMEMORATE ALL THOSE WHO TOOK PART IN THE GREEK CAMPAIGNS SO THAT GREECE MAY BE FREE/
THE SUGGESTION THAT AN ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO GREECE BE ORGANISED FOR THE MONTH OF MAY AND A REUNION/ WEEKEND IN THE AUTUMN WITH A SERVICE AT THIS ARBORETUM CHAPEL BECAME WELL SUPPORTED EVENTS./
AMONGST OUR 'AIMS AND OBJECTS' WE VOWED TO PUBLICISE THE SHAMEFUL FIASCO OF THE GREEK 1940-1941 CAMPAIGN./ WE WERE EXPENDABLE AND OUR DISASTROUS DEFEAT WAS NEVER PUBLICISED. TO TRY TO RECTIFY THIS OMISSION WE/ PUBLISHED TWO BOOKS OF MEMBERS' WAR EXPERIENCES 'TELL THEM WE WERE HERE'./
OUR MOST IMPORTANT SUCCESS HAS BEEN TO BRING TOGETHER THOSE WHO AHS SUFFERED AS POWS - HORRIFIC EVENTS THE/ MIND WAS RELUCTANT TO REVEAL BUT COULD BE FREELY DISCUSSED WITH FELLOW SUFFERERS./
'TO SAVE THE WORLD WE ASKED THESE MEN TO DIE - IF THEY COULD MEET US NOW, WOULD THEY ASK WHY?'/
EDWIN HORLINGTON MBE/