Australia Post (AP) has announced the release of a limited-edition Commemorative Medal & Commemorative Envelope marking the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete in 1941.
According to AP the release, in conjunction with the Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand, will take place on Friday 11th November 2022 during Australia’s Remembrance Day,
The medal and envelope, launched on the eve of Australia’s Remembrance Day, is a reminder for what the ANZACS did on Cretan soil over 80 years ago; a fitting tribute to the memory of the hundreds of ANZACS that made the sacrifice and eventually paid the ultimate price and never returned home.
The Medal 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 Australia Post, Manager of Philatelic, Mrs. Cheryl Roy paid tribute to her late father Mr. Frank Colledge Roy who served on Crete and could only praise the respect and the warmth he received from the people on Crete, especially after what they endured in 1941. She felt it was small but very important way of keeping their memory alive. She continued to praise the work that the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand, does on a national level promoting the Battle of Crete eighty years on. Cheryl also mentioned that a total of 2000 pieces will go on sale from Friday 11th November across most Australia Post stores in Australia.
The President of the Cretan Federation of Australia & New Zealand Mr. Tony Tsourdalakis thanked Australia Post and the Philatelic Department for all the work they did to produce the medal. It was an initiative that commenced in 2020 but unfortunately wasn’t completed due to Covid 19 until 2022.
The Chairman of the Battle of Crete & Greece Commemorative Council of Victoria Mr. Jim Papadimitriou also expressed his excitement at the presentation of the Medal and the Envelope saying 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.
