Wienand Drenth Posted 16 April , 2006 Share Posted 16 April , 2006 Dear all, A friend of mine is getting married in June in Thessaloniki. I want to combine this with a short holiday in the region. Apart from enjoying the Greek weather, culture and food, I would also like to see some of the war remains in the area, if present. Thus I would like to ask if one of the pals can inform me what is to be seen there, and share experiences. I am planning to go by plane, and probably rent a car there. Cheers, Wienand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine w Posted 17 April , 2006 Share Posted 17 April , 2006 Dear all, A friend of mine is getting married in June in Thessaloniki. I want to combine this with a short holiday in the region. Apart from enjoying the Greek weather, culture and food, I would also like to see some of the war remains in the area, if present. Thus I would like to ask if one of the pals can inform me what is to be seen there, and share experiences. I am planning to go by plane, and probably rent a car there. Cheers, Wienand Hello Wienand I thoroughly recommend visiting the Salonika Campaign Society's website - this will give you some very useful tips, advice and information on that region. In addition, there is a very good thread on this forum (do a search for 'Visit to the Lake Doiran' by bchera) - it's got tons of information - and some really super photos of the battlefield and cemetary. I think you'll find both the above links very useful indeed. Cheers Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wienand Drenth Posted 17 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2006 Hello Christine, Many thanks for the links, very useful indeed. Cheers, Wienand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitri Posted 17 April , 2006 Share Posted 17 April , 2006 Hi Wienand- Apart from the links provided by Christine, there is a War Museum in Thessaloniki. I have never visited it, but I have heard that it is pretty decent albeit for the fact that in does not deal in WW1 alone. If you are interested in Greece's involvement in other wars except WW1, there are a couple of museums in Northern Greece that deal in WW2, the Macedonian Struggle for Independence as well as the Balkan Wars, not to mention Greece's War of Independence of 1821. For a full list of what is available visit the following site: http://www.greece-museums.com/ Hope you have a great time, best regards Dimitri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 17 April , 2006 Share Posted 17 April , 2006 I have been, because of the war time fire there is little of old city, ciyt walls, White Tower, it's not an attractive city. Very little evidence of the war though you stumble upon some blockhouses etc. The country around Lake Dorian town, the Couronnes, the main memorial are quite worthwhile but a bit of a drive. And whatever you do when in Greece call Macedonia something else, you will be appaled at the reaction if you do so, they are crazy. If you want to walk the last British assaults you will need to enter the country whose name cannot be spoken nor can it be mentioned on road signs. The people there are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wienand Drenth Posted 17 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 17 April , 2006 @ Dimitri, Many thanks for the link to the museums. Will certainly help to plan a little in advance. @ Paul My friend told me already that Macedonia should officialy be called something like the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. Will be careful Thanks again. Cheers, Wienand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWills Posted 25 April , 2006 Share Posted 25 April , 2006 Of course once you are in FYROM you must call it Macedonia ..... There is still much to see if you know where to look and much of the battlefield is not hugely changed. Unfortunately much sits close to the Greece/FYROM/Macedonia border where one should only venture with Macedonian border guards to ensure your safety. The Doiran Memorial and other cemeteries are easily accessible. You are also not too far from Gallipoli or from Skyros where Rupert Brooke lies buried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpike Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 If you are visiting Salonika, who should you NOT miss in visiting in terms of graves, names on memorials etc? I believe for instance there are no VC's remembered, but are there poets, sportsmen, composers, artists etc? Suggestions, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RHLV Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Don't know about specific individuals, but the military cemetery is just north of town and the Jewish cemetery (it's the 2nd one) has a wonderful Holocaust memorial on the grounds. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpike Posted 4 May , 2006 Share Posted 4 May , 2006 Rich, Sounds well worth adding to any itinerary. Hopefully some 'grave suggestions' will materialise, too, thank-you, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 4 May , 2006 Share Posted 4 May , 2006 In the cemeteries near the city, nearly all the way to Dorian, one is struck by how few decorated men there are, reason is simple, deaths were nearly all malaria not combat. I did see one amazing inscription in one of the combat ones, " This son died trying to avenge my other two." Wow. It was easy to feel her anger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpike Posted 4 May , 2006 Share Posted 4 May , 2006 Paul, an interesting inscription, have you a reference, please? Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 4 May , 2006 Share Posted 4 May , 2006 Bob I don't, I think , well I'm preetty sure I listed cemetery, name, regiment in an old thread about favorite family inscriptions. I have hundreds of unorganized battlefield photos, rarely carry a camera anymore, did this time to take photos for pals, largely messed that up. It's here summers but God knows where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitri Posted 7 May , 2006 Share Posted 7 May , 2006 Hi Bob- Apart from Rupert Brooke's grave on the island of Skyros I can not think of any 'notable' graves from WW1. As already mentioned due to the limited number of large scale battles on the Salonika front it is quite rare to even find graves of bravery award recipients. There are a couple of MM and MC awardees buried in the Salonika cemeteries (notable Doiran Memorial and Cemetery), most of which were KIA for the second battle of Doiran. You will probably have to search thru the CWGC register for these. There is also a lack of high ranking casualties (I am aware of a Colonel in the RAMC that is buried in the Mikra Military Cemetery). Maybe other pals know more? Best Dimitri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpike Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Dimitri, Thank you for your suggestions, it certainly does seem a campaign lacking in 'notable deaths.' Perhaps others can enlighten us differently? Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 from 'Courage Remembered', by Kingsley Ward and Major Edwin Gibson. Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery This cemetery (then known as the Anglo-French Military Cemetery) was opened in November 1915 and had British, French, Serbian, Italian and Russian sections. The British section remained in use until October 1918, although from the beginning of 1917 burials were also made at Mikra (see below under Additional Cemeteries). The front line was 40 miles away and most of the burials are of soldiers who died in hospitals established locally. In February and March 1917 Salonika received two heavy air raids and many of the graves just north of the Cross of Sacrifice are of those killed in the bombing. The cemetery contains 1,650 British burials (of whom 15 were in the Malta Labour Corps) and three Canadian; 45 Bulgarians who died as prisoners of war are also buried here. One of the more remarkable graves is that of Mrs Katharine Mary Harley, Croix de Guerre (France), age 62, who died on 7th March 1917. She was a sister of Field Marshal Sir John French, C-in-C of the BEF in France and Flanders in 1914-1915. Mrs Harley led a group of British nurses serving with the Serbian Army and she was killed in the bombing. Her grave bears a private memorial (as well as a recumbent Commission headstone) erected in 1917 by the Serbian Army and inscribed in two languages: THE GENEROUS ENGLISH LADY AND GREAT BENEFACTRESS OF THE SERBIAN PEOPLE MADAME HARLEY A GREAT LADY ON YOUR TOMB INSTEAD OF FLOWERS THE GRATITUDE OF THE SERBS SHALL BLOSSOM THERE FOR YOUR WONDERFUL ACTS YOUR NAME SHALL BE KNOWN FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION Though Mrs. Harley, at an age when few men were serving, died nursing in the Serbian Army, she was typical of the many women who served with the nursing and similar forces of the Commonwealth forces and whose graves lie wherever those forces served." Mrs Harley was killed alongside a number of other nursing sisiters during an air-raid over Vertikop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpike Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Kate, At last, thank you! A most interesting tale and a fine lady. Are there more of interest, and wIll this stimulate the flood? Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Are you visiting Bob? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimitri Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Hi Kate- Great call!! I remember reading of this incident in passing. Have you got any more details? How many nurses were killed etc? Vey interesting indeed. Any info would be much appreciated, best Dimitri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Hi Dimitri, The only additional info I have to hand is that she was a widow (and I seem to recall her husband was a senior officer, but I may well be wrong about that) and she lived at Condover House near Shrewsbury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen D Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 On your trip could you please try and find and photgraph this chap. Name: AMOR, GEORGE Initials: G Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Wiltshire Regiment Unit Text: 7th Bn. Age: 33 Date of Death: 16/09/1916 Service No: 13565 Additional information: Son of John and Annie Amor, of Swindon; husband of Florence Annie Amor, of 88, Redcliffe St., Even, Swindon. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 416. Cemetery: SALONIKA (LEMBET ROAD) MILITARY CEMETERY Thank You. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Dimitri & Bob, a bit more info, from the 1891 census. Katherine was born at Ripple Kent, and by 1891 was living with her husband Major Goerge E. Harley at Balgowan House, Saltwood, near Hythe, Kent. They had several children, including Julian E F Harley born circa 1881 (wonder what he did in the war?) and their lodger was none other than (then) Col. John D P French. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpike Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 I have a feeling there are some New Zealand nurses remembered on the Mikra Memorial? Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 I have a feeling there are some New Zealand nurses remembered on the Mikra Memorial? Bob There sure are. My late Kiwi pal Robin Haslam wrote a Stand To ! aritcle about them at my suggestion. Astonishing but they were on a legitimate military target troop ship needlessly when there was room on a hospital ship which was untouched. I was working on a story which was printed in Stand To! on Samuell Douthitt Hill a Kentucky man killed with NZ Rifle Brigade, he was helping, sent a picture of Hill's name on the memorial at Auckland War Memorial Museum, next name was Nora Hilyard, one of those nurses. This incident is also mentioned in Lyn McDonald's Roses of No Man's Land about nurses. I have been to this memorial. I hope you can read both articles Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpike Posted 9 May , 2006 Share Posted 9 May , 2006 Paul, I remember the piece on Hill, indeed on my next visit I made a point of visiting him at Bony. I'll dig out my copies of 'Stand to!' & find Robin's article, thank you. This is a very interesting thread, but I'm amazed at how few 'notable graves' have been suggested! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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