WAR GRAVES IN GREECE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29514, 16 May 1961, Page 11

WAR GRAVES IN GREECE

Duke, Duchess Begin Tour

<N Z-P-A -Reuter—Cowiglit) ! SALONIKA. May 14. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester yesterday began a two-day visit to cemeteries containing the graves of 0650 Commonwealth men and •women who died in Mace-i donia during World War I. Peasant children cheered them when they arrived at the Strumma War Cemetery, about 40 miles north-west of Salonika. The cemetery, set among cornfields and pear orchards, contains 932 flowerMirrounded graves of British. Indian and Maltese troops Later the Duke and Duchess went on to a small war cemetery near the village of Lahana. where 271 British: soldiers are buried. The Duke and Duchess were accompanied in their! tour by the British Ambassador in Athens (Sir Roger Allen), the vice-chairman of! the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (General 1 Sir John Crocker!, and New Zealand Army’s senior liaison, officer in London (Brigadier R. C. Queree). A touching scene took place in a schoolyard at Salonika when two New Zealanders who escaped from a prisoner, of war camp in Salonika dur-i ing World War n met the woman who helped them in their escape. The two men are Sergeantj Bill Buchanan, of the Royal l New Zealand Air Force, from, Christchurch, and Bruce 1 Crowley, of Okaihau. The woman who helped them. Mrs Sophia Vassiopoulou was then a young teacher of 23 She is now the headmistress of a school for foreign languages. In the presence of her pupils in the courtyard of the school. Sergeant Buchanan and Mr Crowley presented Mrs Vassilopoulou with a silk New Zealand flag. She gave them a Greek flag Sergeant Buchanan is bound for Mount Athos to pay a personal debt to the Mount of Iviron monastery. where he was given shelter after his escape from the German camp in Salonika. He will present the Abbot with two silver candlesticks.