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Remembered Today:

The Salonika Campaign Society


Gully Ravine

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Dear all

 

A brief update, if I may, on behalf of The Salonika Campaign Society, of which I am the Membership Secretary.

 

We have received a couple of queries recently from members who have ‘heard that the society had gone west’ or ‘is about to fold’.

 

I wish to reassure any member (or anyone thinking of joining us) that this is not the case and that we are in the rudest of health.

 

Finances are healthy and well-managed, membership is at the highest level I have known it, the web site has recently been moved to a new platform to allow its editor to concentrate on content (as opposed to technical issues) and we have several events planned for the near future.  These include:

 

·         Our annual commemoration at the Cenotaph in October, followed by our AGM with guest speaker

·         Our usual plot at the Field of Remembrance in November

·         Special Centenary edition of ‘The New Mosquito’ to be issued this month

·         Our ‘Victory Tour’ (28 September – 7 October), which includes attendance at official ceremonies in Greece

 

We recently welcomed on board a new editor for The New Mosquito and a new Secretary will be appointed in the near future.  The previous holders of these posts are standing down (with our thanks and best wishes) after many years of loyal service to the Society.  Possibly these changes are the cause of the rumour?

 

To reiterate – we are alive and kicking and looking forward to the start of the next 100 years of commemoration.

 

www.salonikacampaignsociety.org.uk

 

Keith Edmonds

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25 minutes ago, Gully Ravine said:

Dear all

 

A brief update, if I may, on behalf of The Salonika Campaign Society, of which I am the Membership Secretary.

 

We have received a couple of queries recently from members who have ‘heard that the society had gone west’ or ‘is about to fold’.

 

I wish to reassure any member (or anyone thinking of joining us) that this is not the case and that we are in the rudest of health.

 

Finances are healthy and well-managed, membership is at the highest level I have known it, the web site has recently been moved to a new platform to allow its editor to concentrate on content (as opposed to technical issues) and we have several events planned for the near future.  These include:

 

·         Our annual commemoration at the Cenotaph in October, followed by our AGM with guest speaker

·         Our usual plot at the Field of Remembrance in November

·         Special Centenary edition of ‘The New Mosquito’ to be issued this month

·         Our ‘Victory Tour’ (28 September – 7 October), which includes attendance at official ceremonies in Greece

 

We recently welcomed on board a new editor for The New Mosquito and a new Secretary will be appointed in the near future.  The previous holders of these posts are standing down (with our thanks and best wishes) after many years of loyal service to the Society.  Possibly these changes are the cause of the rumour?

 

To reiterate – we are alive and kicking and looking forward to the start of the next 100 years of commemoration.

 

www.salonikacampaignsociety.org.uk

 

Keith Edmonds

 

It's good to have confirmation of the Society's 'rude health' Keith - especially as I am just about to get my - long overdue - Membership Application off to you!

Edited by pete-c
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Just to add, we will also have a group of members, as ever led by Alan Wakefield, participating in the commemorations in Greece of the centenary of the Armistice with the Bulgarians  at the end of September. After the commemorations we will be walking parts of the 1918 battlefields that are new to most of us. Packing has started.

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  • 4 weeks later...

The Society was well represented at the Armistice Commemorations last weekend.

The UK was represented at the Lembet Road Commemorations by the British honorary Consul,   There were no representatives of the British Army to be seen. France was represented at that day's  ceremonies by a Minister, three army officers in dress uniform, and several junior naval officers or cadets. The Italian representative was I think a Lt Colonel, and the Serbian forces were represented by a massive official turn out.

 

The following day the Five Nations Ceremonies at Polycastro saw similar levels of  representation. Only at the Doiran British Memorial and Cemetery did our representation increase. There the nation was represented by The Duke of Kent, accompanied by the attache and a senior RAF officer. The music and last post were ably provided by musicians of the Greek Army. The Duke is of course a British Field Marshal, so there was technically one member of the British Army present in an official capacity.

 

The commemorations were dignified in all cases, and in all cases the official British wreath was supported by wreaths were laid by the Salonika Campaign Society. I really was saddened and angered that the men of the British Salonika Force were not commemorated by so much as a corporal's guard of British soldiers.

Later the Duke attended a ceremony at the nearby Greek military cemetery in Doiran, and visited other places of special British interest; The memorial to the 10th Irish Division, and the Karasouli British Military Cemetery.

 

I really was depressed that while the Duke of Kent, was not supported by a suitable contingent from an army that at one stage had over 200,000  men serving in Salonika during the Great War. Maybe I am just becoming a grumpy old fool, but I felt that the men of the BSF deserved better of their army.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

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