Soldiers of the Greek Presidential Guard are in Sydney to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign. They have the rare honour of standing guard at the Cenotaph this week.

The Presidential Guard is an elite ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Presidential Mansion and the gate of Evzones camp in Athens.

The unit is famous around the world for its uniform, which evolved from the clothes worn by the klephts who fought the Ottoman occupation of Greece. The most visible item of this uniform is the fustanella, a kilt-like garment.

The Evzones took part in the official ceremony on 16 April at the Cenotaph, and they will also take part in the Anzac Day march on 25 April.

The 75th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, one of the key conflicts of the Second World War, has been chosen by the Australian Government as one of the significant anniversaries to be commemorated during the Anzac centenary.

Approximately 34,000 Australian and New Zealanders served in mainland Greece and Crete. Many had fought in Gallipoli and some were from diverse migrant and indigenous backgrounds. Of the 1,686 Anzacs killed, 646 were Australians. Over half of them have never been found or their remains identified. Some 8,900 prisoners of war were captured in Greece.

The staunch defence of Greece by the Anzacs and other commonwealth forces was ‘a great risk in a good cause’ and delayed the Nazi invasion of Russia into a harsh cold winter contributing to their ultimate defeat. The Greeks regarded the Anzacs as heroes and many at great risk helped them to survive and escape after the battles were lost. There are monuments and memorials all over Greece commemorating the Anzacs.

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