Assyrian commemorative service to honour the life of
Lt General Sir Stanley Savige KBE CB DSO MC ED
On the 31st of August Assyrian community leaders from Sydney and Melbourne gathered at Boorondara cemetery in Kew Victoria to commemorate an Australian General for his dedication and sacrifice towards the safety of Assyrian refugees during the exodus from Urmia, Persia in August 1918.
Lieutenant General Sir Stanley George Savige, at that time a captain serving in the specially assembled Allied unit nicknamed “Dunsterforce” was second in command of a supply column assigned to re-supply the Assyrians fighting in Persia. Unable to complete his task due to the fall of Urmia he nevertheless persisted in his endeavour to assist the Assyrians by persuading his British commander that he should remain with them.
For six weeks he used all the means at his disposal to protect the refugees against the perpetual onslaught of the Turkish forces. He placed his command at the rear of the refugee procession and deliberately drew enemy fire reasoning that the Turkish commander would concentrate on killing him before harming the refugees. By offering his command as target, even though outnumbered one hundred to one, he managed to slow the Turkish advance long enough for most of the refugees to flee.
This act of courage and self sacrifice is far beyond what is expected of a regular junior officer in the field. Stanley Savige was no ordinary soldier; this righteous young man was born in 1890 in Morwell, Victoria, commissioned in the field, he served in Gallipoli and France where he won the Military Cross at the second battle of Bullecourt. In 1918 he won the DSO for his part in the Assyrian refugee crisis. After the war he established the Legacy Foundation to care for war widows and their children, he rose to the rank of Lt General and was knighted. He passed away on the 15th May 1954 at a young age of sixty three and is now resting at Boorondara cemetery in Kew Victoria.
Lt General Savige was thanked by all speakers at the ceremony; speakers included the Hon. Petro Georgio MP representing our Prime Minister the Hon. John Howard, Brigadier Keith Rossi RSL Historian, Lt Colonel Mark Gainsford Defence School of signals, Mr John Savige and five Assyrian community representatives.
The General was awarded the highest Assyrian medallion and declared a hero by all speakers. A plaque was also accepted by his grandson Mr Stanley Waters on behalf of his Grandfather. After the ceremony, the Assyrian delegation proceeded to his home town [Morwell] where a bronze bust of the General was unveiled by the Mayor Hon. Lisa Price and Legacy president [Melbourne] Mr Bill Rogers. The Assyrians were invited to attend and speak at this historic occasion to celebrate the life of this great Australian.
This event was organised by the Assyrian levies [veterans] Association and we wish to thank all participants and attendees, A special thanks to; the Hon. Prime Minister John Howard, Bishop Mar Meelis Zaia, Brigadier Keith Rossi, Lt Col Mark Gainsford, Hon. Petro Georgio MP, Chaplain Major Peter Lyndenmyer, Rev. G Lazar, Dr Walter Savige, Mr. John Savige, , RSM Peter Zajac and all Assyrian organizations present.
Lt General Sir Stanley Savige KBE CB DSO MC ED
On the 31st of August Assyrian community leaders from Sydney and Melbourne gathered at Boorondara cemetery in Kew Victoria to commemorate an Australian General for his dedication and sacrifice towards the safety of Assyrian refugees during the exodus from Urmia, Persia in August 1918.
Lieutenant General Sir Stanley George Savige, at that time a captain serving in the specially assembled Allied unit nicknamed “Dunsterforce” was second in command of a supply column assigned to re-supply the Assyrians fighting in Persia. Unable to complete his task due to the fall of Urmia he nevertheless persisted in his endeavour to assist the Assyrians by persuading his British commander that he should remain with them.
For six weeks he used all the means at his disposal to protect the refugees against the perpetual onslaught of the Turkish forces. He placed his command at the rear of the refugee procession and deliberately drew enemy fire reasoning that the Turkish commander would concentrate on killing him before harming the refugees. By offering his command as target, even though outnumbered one hundred to one, he managed to slow the Turkish advance long enough for most of the refugees to flee.
This act of courage and self sacrifice is far beyond what is expected of a regular junior officer in the field. Stanley Savige was no ordinary soldier; this righteous young man was born in 1890 in Morwell, Victoria, commissioned in the field, he served in Gallipoli and France where he won the Military Cross at the second battle of Bullecourt. In 1918 he won the DSO for his part in the Assyrian refugee crisis. After the war he established the Legacy Foundation to care for war widows and their children, he rose to the rank of Lt General and was knighted. He passed away on the 15th May 1954 at a young age of sixty three and is now resting at Boorondara cemetery in Kew Victoria.
Lt General Savige was thanked by all speakers at the ceremony; speakers included the Hon. Petro Georgio MP representing our Prime Minister the Hon. John Howard, Brigadier Keith Rossi RSL Historian, Lt Colonel Mark Gainsford Defence School of signals, Mr John Savige and five Assyrian community representatives.
The General was awarded the highest Assyrian medallion and declared a hero by all speakers. A plaque was also accepted by his grandson Mr Stanley Waters on behalf of his Grandfather. After the ceremony, the Assyrian delegation proceeded to his home town [Morwell] where a bronze bust of the General was unveiled by the Mayor Hon. Lisa Price and Legacy president [Melbourne] Mr Bill Rogers. The Assyrians were invited to attend and speak at this historic occasion to celebrate the life of this great Australian.
This event was organised by the Assyrian levies [veterans] Association and we wish to thank all participants and attendees, A special thanks to; the Hon. Prime Minister John Howard, Bishop Mar Meelis Zaia, Brigadier Keith Rossi, Lt Col Mark Gainsford, Hon. Petro Georgio MP, Chaplain Major Peter Lyndenmyer, Rev. G Lazar, Dr Walter Savige, Mr. John Savige, , RSM Peter Zajac and all Assyrian organizations present.
Speech by Mr John Savige
Thank you Gaby and the Assyrian Levies Association for organising this wonderful event, I’m sure that uncle Stan would have approved, on behalf of the Savige family I thank you. We really need to read the book Stalky’s Forlorn hope to get a grasp of what happened in saving fifty thousand Assyrians in Takan Tepeh in Persia in July 1918. It was a tremendous act of bravery and humanitarianism. I’m sure uncle Stan would be incensed at learning of the plight of the Assyrians in Iraq today and he would want me to wish all the Assyrians the very best for their future. What can I tell you about this great man? The bloke from the bush that made it. He left school at the age of twelve, a black smith’s striker and a coal miner, scout master, studied for the ministry and joined world war one. He was at Gallipoli, and was last off Gallipoli, commissioned as the rank of captain, selected for the elite Dunsterforce, a successful business man, one of the co-founders of Legacy, joins world war one and rises to the rank of brigadier, in France he was awarded the Military Cross, he joined world war two with the service number VX 13, rises to the rank of Major General, he was one of the most senior officers during that war. He was appointed co-ordinator of demobilisation after the war, he becomes a knight of the realm and attends the queens coronation, not too bad a report about the man from the bush. Life with him in the big old house of shooting, hunting, fishing and swimming was a great life. In his house it was my job to clean out the savouries the ashtrays and collect the glasses, he would make me stand in front of everyone and ruffle my hair and call me his batman. If I was his batman, he was my mentor and my General. Now seventy years on, I look upon him as this country’s great humanitarian, the Assyrian rescue, Legacy and the demobilisation. Not an academic or a professional soldier, but to his troops he was a soldiers General. In hind sight, it was a brilliant decision by the government of the day to appoint him co-ordinator of demobilisation. Although a sick man, he took up the appointment in the final days of the war, if I can quote from Gavin keeting’s book “I am determined to take whatever time necessary for you to recover to give you the best chance at a start in civilian life, that is a service I owe you. Plans are in hand to provide every facility for education and technical training to assist you in obtaining better jobs and prospects in civilian life”. Over the years I have met many soldiers and heard many stories, there one I like to tell you about today, I started my life as a trainee mechanical draftsman at a leading mechanical firm and the chief mechanical engineer was my superior, in my third year in the course after he got to know me a little better he told me his General Savige story. In 1939-40 he was a knock about lad driving trucks, drinking smoking, swearing, getting nowhere, he decided, with permission from his parents to join the Army, he thought the war was a lot of fun and if he went the distance he would have a better chance at better employment, well he went the distance, through the deserts, the jungles of New Guinea and Bogenville, in the course of his discharge he has to attend all the courses and lectures on demobilisation. He sits there and doesn’t pay much attention to them, they give him pamphlets that he doesn’t bother to read, he just tossed them in his bag, and went back to Melbourne drinking, smoking trying to get on with his life trying to forget his five years in the war, fortunately his father found the literature, read it and called him in to try some of the courses, he went on and done an engineering degree at the Melbourne university. For the rest of his life he was grateful for the General for giving him the opportunity. In conclusion, I repeat what was said as the soldiers where standing outside the Cathedral at the funeral as the Gun carriage goes by “there goes a man if there ever was one”.
Thank you Gaby and the Assyrian Levies Association for organising this wonderful event, I’m sure that uncle Stan would have approved, on behalf of the Savige family I thank you. We really need to read the book Stalky’s Forlorn hope to get a grasp of what happened in saving fifty thousand Assyrians in Takan Tepeh in Persia in July 1918. It was a tremendous act of bravery and humanitarianism. I’m sure uncle Stan would be incensed at learning of the plight of the Assyrians in Iraq today and he would want me to wish all the Assyrians the very best for their future. What can I tell you about this great man? The bloke from the bush that made it. He left school at the age of twelve, a black smith’s striker and a coal miner, scout master, studied for the ministry and joined world war one. He was at Gallipoli, and was last off Gallipoli, commissioned as the rank of captain, selected for the elite Dunsterforce, a successful business man, one of the co-founders of Legacy, joins world war one and rises to the rank of brigadier, in France he was awarded the Military Cross, he joined world war two with the service number VX 13, rises to the rank of Major General, he was one of the most senior officers during that war. He was appointed co-ordinator of demobilisation after the war, he becomes a knight of the realm and attends the queens coronation, not too bad a report about the man from the bush. Life with him in the big old house of shooting, hunting, fishing and swimming was a great life. In his house it was my job to clean out the savouries the ashtrays and collect the glasses, he would make me stand in front of everyone and ruffle my hair and call me his batman. If I was his batman, he was my mentor and my General. Now seventy years on, I look upon him as this country’s great humanitarian, the Assyrian rescue, Legacy and the demobilisation. Not an academic or a professional soldier, but to his troops he was a soldiers General. In hind sight, it was a brilliant decision by the government of the day to appoint him co-ordinator of demobilisation. Although a sick man, he took up the appointment in the final days of the war, if I can quote from Gavin keeting’s book “I am determined to take whatever time necessary for you to recover to give you the best chance at a start in civilian life, that is a service I owe you. Plans are in hand to provide every facility for education and technical training to assist you in obtaining better jobs and prospects in civilian life”. Over the years I have met many soldiers and heard many stories, there one I like to tell you about today, I started my life as a trainee mechanical draftsman at a leading mechanical firm and the chief mechanical engineer was my superior, in my third year in the course after he got to know me a little better he told me his General Savige story. In 1939-40 he was a knock about lad driving trucks, drinking smoking, swearing, getting nowhere, he decided, with permission from his parents to join the Army, he thought the war was a lot of fun and if he went the distance he would have a better chance at better employment, well he went the distance, through the deserts, the jungles of New Guinea and Bogenville, in the course of his discharge he has to attend all the courses and lectures on demobilisation. He sits there and doesn’t pay much attention to them, they give him pamphlets that he doesn’t bother to read, he just tossed them in his bag, and went back to Melbourne drinking, smoking trying to get on with his life trying to forget his five years in the war, fortunately his father found the literature, read it and called him in to try some of the courses, he went on and done an engineering degree at the Melbourne university. For the rest of his life he was grateful for the General for giving him the opportunity. In conclusion, I repeat what was said as the soldiers where standing outside the Cathedral at the funeral as the Gun carriage goes by “there goes a man if there ever was one”.
Speech by Gaby Kiwarkis
Our gathering today to honour this exceptional gentleman is historic and essential. The sacrifice made by our service personnel must never be forgotten. The freedom we enjoy in this country today came at a very high price, and that price was paid and is still being paid by our service personnel.
As Australian Assyrians we have a special obligation to ensure this sacrifice is never forgotten. Those of us from Assyrian ancestry are now becoming aware of the strong link between our very survival and this Australian serviceman. We Assyrians owe a great deal to this wonderful country, this great nation that breeds such men as Stanley George Savige.
Faced with an impossible situation, unforseen circumstances that his training and experience could never prepare him for; he made an extraordinary decision that confirmed his true character. It is said “that a man is not judged by his words but by his actions”, this was true of Lt General Sir Stanley George Savige.
In the killing fields of Persia during the summer of 1918, the Assyrians, deserted by their Russian Allies had managed to hold their own against the Turks for seven months, it has been recorded that the Assyrian Army had defeated a combined force of Turkish and Kurdish troops in 15 major engagements.
With no logistical support, their ammunition was soon exhausted and quickly found themselves in a dangerous situation. They were surrounded by hostile Moslem forces and trapped; the remnants of an entire ancient Christian civilisation had retreated to the city of Urmia in Persia. It was then that contact with British forces was made and promise of resupply secured. The British being a small force at that time could not reach the Assyrians in Urmia, they agreed to a plan of meeting halfway in the Persian town of Sain Kaleh. An Assyrian detachment was to defeat two Turkish divisions and meet a British supply column whose officers and other ranks comprised of mostly of ANZAC’s. This column was escorted by British cavalry.
The Assyrians defeated the Turkish divisions as planned but arrived at the rendezvous too late. The British cavalry commander after waiting three days decided to withdraw.
One of the officers commanding the supply column was a young Australian Captain, Stanley Savige. After discussing the situation with his troop, he made a proposal to the British commander, the ANZAC’s, to the last man, volunteered to ride to Urmia and supply the Assyrians. This proposal was rejected; but Captain Savige continued to pester the British commander until he finally agreed to a plan of camping fifty miles south of the rendezvous.
In the mean time, in Urmia the Assyrians were holing firm waiting the arrival of the supplies, when a section of the front line manned by non-Assyrians deserted their positions and allowed Turkish forces to break through. Attempts were made by the Assyrians to close the gap, but the enemy was well manned and overpowered the defenders. Panic stricken civilians, 70 thousand men, Women and children, began to flee in the direction of British lines, knowing that if they remained they would be annihilated. The defenders remained and fought gallantly allowing the civilian population time to flee, the survivors later joining the caravan of refugees. 10,000 civilians were not able to join the caravan and were massacred.
In the south, the Assyrians met with captain Savige and his troop, the Assyrians were supplied and together rode north to Urmia. Halfway into their journey however, they met the fleeing refugees. After questioning, Captain Savige learned from them that the city had fallen and the enemy was in pursuit.
Now… the extraordinary nature of this man comes to surface, we must keep in mind that his orders were to supply and train the Assyrian Army, there was no Army left to supply or train! He was also carrying large amounts of ammunition and money, 45,000 pounds of Persian silver. This he was ordered not to risk falling in enemy hands. Faced with this appalling situation, this compassionate, righteous, courageous man, decided that human life was above all else. He decided on his own initiative to defend the refugees.
He placed a small guard on the supplies, chose six men, and rode forward to the rear of the refugee procession, there he remained, fighting day after day, week after week keeping the enemy at bay as best he could until the remaining refugees reached safety. He held on to a defensive position until the last possible moment, when almost surrounded, before extracting his command only to repeat the process, by doing this he gave the refugees those that were able sufficient time to escape. He sent riders forward to inform the British of the situation, food and medicine was prepared for them prior to their arrival, and this act alone saved thousands. It’s difficult to describe in words the reality of what he accomplished or the horrors that he witnessed. For me the situation is described best by the Generals own words. For the refugees that were left behind he says To have drawn our revolvers and shot them would have been humane, knowing full well how cruelly they would be treated by the foe.
He was ready to sacrifice himself and his entire command to save the refugees. He used himself as a shield between them and the Turks, in his own words he says “the Turkish Commander would concentrate his efforts on wiping us out, before turning the energies of his men on the unfortunate people.
I thank God, for placing on this earth, this magnificent soldier, to have positioned him at the right place and at the right time. I shudder to think of what would have happened to those refugees if not for his efforts. Who would have supplied them, where would they have gone and how many would have survived?
At the beginning of the war, the Assyrians numbered more than 800,000.
By 1918 they were reduced by massacre to 80,000
The final count of survivors at the end of the war numbered 48,000
From 800,000 to 48,000 in four years
Today I am privileged to be standing before the General and his family, and am pleased to inform them, from those 48,000 survivors, their descendants today have increased close to the original number of 800,000. By the grace
Of God, it is because of this man’s efforts at a critical time in our people’s history, that we as their descendants are able to stand here today.
Our gathering today to honour this exceptional gentleman is historic and essential. The sacrifice made by our service personnel must never be forgotten. The freedom we enjoy in this country today came at a very high price, and that price was paid and is still being paid by our service personnel.
As Australian Assyrians we have a special obligation to ensure this sacrifice is never forgotten. Those of us from Assyrian ancestry are now becoming aware of the strong link between our very survival and this Australian serviceman. We Assyrians owe a great deal to this wonderful country, this great nation that breeds such men as Stanley George Savige.
Faced with an impossible situation, unforseen circumstances that his training and experience could never prepare him for; he made an extraordinary decision that confirmed his true character. It is said “that a man is not judged by his words but by his actions”, this was true of Lt General Sir Stanley George Savige.
In the killing fields of Persia during the summer of 1918, the Assyrians, deserted by their Russian Allies had managed to hold their own against the Turks for seven months, it has been recorded that the Assyrian Army had defeated a combined force of Turkish and Kurdish troops in 15 major engagements.
With no logistical support, their ammunition was soon exhausted and quickly found themselves in a dangerous situation. They were surrounded by hostile Moslem forces and trapped; the remnants of an entire ancient Christian civilisation had retreated to the city of Urmia in Persia. It was then that contact with British forces was made and promise of resupply secured. The British being a small force at that time could not reach the Assyrians in Urmia, they agreed to a plan of meeting halfway in the Persian town of Sain Kaleh. An Assyrian detachment was to defeat two Turkish divisions and meet a British supply column whose officers and other ranks comprised of mostly of ANZAC’s. This column was escorted by British cavalry.
The Assyrians defeated the Turkish divisions as planned but arrived at the rendezvous too late. The British cavalry commander after waiting three days decided to withdraw.
One of the officers commanding the supply column was a young Australian Captain, Stanley Savige. After discussing the situation with his troop, he made a proposal to the British commander, the ANZAC’s, to the last man, volunteered to ride to Urmia and supply the Assyrians. This proposal was rejected; but Captain Savige continued to pester the British commander until he finally agreed to a plan of camping fifty miles south of the rendezvous.
In the mean time, in Urmia the Assyrians were holing firm waiting the arrival of the supplies, when a section of the front line manned by non-Assyrians deserted their positions and allowed Turkish forces to break through. Attempts were made by the Assyrians to close the gap, but the enemy was well manned and overpowered the defenders. Panic stricken civilians, 70 thousand men, Women and children, began to flee in the direction of British lines, knowing that if they remained they would be annihilated. The defenders remained and fought gallantly allowing the civilian population time to flee, the survivors later joining the caravan of refugees. 10,000 civilians were not able to join the caravan and were massacred.
In the south, the Assyrians met with captain Savige and his troop, the Assyrians were supplied and together rode north to Urmia. Halfway into their journey however, they met the fleeing refugees. After questioning, Captain Savige learned from them that the city had fallen and the enemy was in pursuit.
Now… the extraordinary nature of this man comes to surface, we must keep in mind that his orders were to supply and train the Assyrian Army, there was no Army left to supply or train! He was also carrying large amounts of ammunition and money, 45,000 pounds of Persian silver. This he was ordered not to risk falling in enemy hands. Faced with this appalling situation, this compassionate, righteous, courageous man, decided that human life was above all else. He decided on his own initiative to defend the refugees.
He placed a small guard on the supplies, chose six men, and rode forward to the rear of the refugee procession, there he remained, fighting day after day, week after week keeping the enemy at bay as best he could until the remaining refugees reached safety. He held on to a defensive position until the last possible moment, when almost surrounded, before extracting his command only to repeat the process, by doing this he gave the refugees those that were able sufficient time to escape. He sent riders forward to inform the British of the situation, food and medicine was prepared for them prior to their arrival, and this act alone saved thousands. It’s difficult to describe in words the reality of what he accomplished or the horrors that he witnessed. For me the situation is described best by the Generals own words. For the refugees that were left behind he says To have drawn our revolvers and shot them would have been humane, knowing full well how cruelly they would be treated by the foe.
He was ready to sacrifice himself and his entire command to save the refugees. He used himself as a shield between them and the Turks, in his own words he says “the Turkish Commander would concentrate his efforts on wiping us out, before turning the energies of his men on the unfortunate people.
I thank God, for placing on this earth, this magnificent soldier, to have positioned him at the right place and at the right time. I shudder to think of what would have happened to those refugees if not for his efforts. Who would have supplied them, where would they have gone and how many would have survived?
At the beginning of the war, the Assyrians numbered more than 800,000.
By 1918 they were reduced by massacre to 80,000
The final count of survivors at the end of the war numbered 48,000
From 800,000 to 48,000 in four years
Today I am privileged to be standing before the General and his family, and am pleased to inform them, from those 48,000 survivors, their descendants today have increased close to the original number of 800,000. By the grace
Of God, it is because of this man’s efforts at a critical time in our people’s history, that we as their descendants are able to stand here today.
Speech by Brigadier Rossi Thank you Gaby, ladies and gentleman, members of the Assyrian community, just a few words on Stan Savige, I see on his tombstone a cymbal of Legacy, which was an important part of Stan’s life. I call him Stan because I served under him, he was a Brigadier and I was a sergeant. He was a remarkable man, born in Gippsland, had to leave school at the age of twelve, very limited education, he taught himself and became a boy scout just when that movement started, he was a good scout and what he learned from that organisation is what guided him throughout his life. He was also a very good Methodist, went to church regularly and learned a lot there. When war broke out in 1914, Stan agonised about it for a long time and in the end decided he had to go and early in 1915 he enlisted and was put in the 24th battalion, he was made a corporal very quickly, by the time they arrived in Egypt he was promoted to sergeant, he went to Gallipoli and fought there as a sergeant and he was commissioned a Lieutenant in November 1915 at Gallipoli. A few months later after Gallipoli he went to France where he got the Military Cross and was mentioned in despatches at the second battle of Bulecourt. In 1918 after Russia withdrew from the war this caused the opening of the road from Turkey to India. It was left to the Armenians and the Assyrians to try to prevent the Germans from getting through Turkey to the Indian sub-continent, assistance was called for and the military in their wisdom called on the colonial armies of the western front, the Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians and south Africans to provide very experienced officers and sergeants to go and perhaps assist the Assyrians the best way they could. Savige was chosen and off he went, he was a Captain with a team of other Australians and colonial’s excreta. In July 1918, very close to the end of the war in Europe when things got pretty tough in northern Mesopotamia, the Assyrian army and the Armenians were running short on supplies and it was Savige’s job to take those supplies to them, to Urmia. They were to meet the Assyrian Army about 100 miles short of Urmia, well they a bit late in arriving and Gaby has told you how Savige insisted on staying behind and in the end when the refugees came through from Urmia he protected them. This was all the ideals he learned as a boy scout, anyway he survived the war and stayed in the militia and at the outbreak of the second world war he was a Brigadier, he was immediately appointed to command the 17th brigade, that was Victorian brigade. He fought in the Middle East and in North Africa, and then in Greece and when he got back to Egypt he found that he was required to join the 7th Division in Syria. He then was brought back to Australia as a Major General commanded the 3rd division and then was made a Lt general and commanded all operations in New Guinea, between the wars he started Legacy to look after the widows and children of men killed in the war or died as a result of the war, and that was his life long love, Melbourne Legacy, under his influence we soon had Sydney Legacy, Legacy in New Zealand and Legacy in Brisbane. After World war two he continued in Legacy, right to his death which was at a very young age of sixty four, he died in 1954 at the age of sixty four. This fellow who started off as a young uneducated man from Gippsland who’s first job was a striker at the local black smith which made him pretty strong and to finish up as Lieutenant General Sir Stanley Savige, what a wonderful achievement and what he did not only for the Assyrians but all his life he looked after not only soldiers, veterans of wars but their widows and children, as they say in Legacy, Stanley Savige there goes a man.
Speech by Sargon Odisho Australian Assyrian Association
On behalf of Assyrian Australian Association I stand here to bow my head in respect for the spirit, gallantry and devotion to duty of Lieutenant General Stanley Savige. As an Australian Assyrian, my feelings are mixed on this historical occasion, As an Australian I feel proud that a brave son of my country was able to offer his help in providing protection to thousands of Assyrian refugees fleeing for their lives in those dark dying days of the First World War in a far off land. As an Assyrian, I grieve for many thousands of my people who could not escape death from the heartless enemy, and I at the same time feel deeply grateful to Lieutenant General Stanley Savige and other Aussie soldiers with him who displayed the great Aussie spirit of bravery and helped many more thousands of Assyrians survive death in their greatest hour of need, Lieutenant General Stanley Savige spirit would be happy to know that thousands of descendants of those lives he helped 88 years ago this month are now proud citizens of this country and contributing to its greatness as a nation. Finally in the name of the Assyrian Australian Association board members we salute and remember the courage and sacrifice of Lieutenant General Savige during the plight of the Assyrians refugee fleeing for their lives in those dark dying days of the first World War and we prey that his memory will be always remembered by the Assyrians generation to come. Thanking you and God bless the heroes
On behalf of Assyrian Australian Association I stand here to bow my head in respect for the spirit, gallantry and devotion to duty of Lieutenant General Stanley Savige. As an Australian Assyrian, my feelings are mixed on this historical occasion, As an Australian I feel proud that a brave son of my country was able to offer his help in providing protection to thousands of Assyrian refugees fleeing for their lives in those dark dying days of the First World War in a far off land. As an Assyrian, I grieve for many thousands of my people who could not escape death from the heartless enemy, and I at the same time feel deeply grateful to Lieutenant General Stanley Savige and other Aussie soldiers with him who displayed the great Aussie spirit of bravery and helped many more thousands of Assyrians survive death in their greatest hour of need, Lieutenant General Stanley Savige spirit would be happy to know that thousands of descendants of those lives he helped 88 years ago this month are now proud citizens of this country and contributing to its greatness as a nation. Finally in the name of the Assyrian Australian Association board members we salute and remember the courage and sacrifice of Lieutenant General Savige during the plight of the Assyrians refugee fleeing for their lives in those dark dying days of the first World War and we prey that his memory will be always remembered by the Assyrians generation to come. Thanking you and God bless the heroes
Speech by Victorian Assyrian Community president
I’m truly privileged and honoured on behalf of the Victorian Assyrian Community, to show and express my utmost thanks and appreciation to the Australians who were part of a young nation, which committed its resources and its people to the fight against oppression and freedom of mankind. This is a unique experience for me, as, I’m sure, it is for most of you also. For the first time we are able to stand in public to draw attention to the misfortunes and deliberate miscarriage of any form of justice to Assyrians and the Assyrian Nation.
It’s also unique in the sense that we are able to recognise the assistance of foreign forces in delivering a nation from total genocide.
Presently, I have mixed emotions of joy, desperation and of sadness.
As an Australian, I’m proud and in ore of individuals such as Lt General Sir Stanley Savige and his forces. Their gallantry and devotion shone through in July and August of 1918, as they, against all odds, steadfastly delivered some 70,000 Assyrian refugees to safety between Sain Keleh and Tikkan Tappah.
I urge you to take a short journey with me and try to imagine the conditions they were to endure, given that these people were well trained and most probably well armed and equipped.
But the reality was that they weren’t only fighting the enemy of some hundreds strong, but also their movement would have been somewhat handicapped by the harshness of the country side, the lack or non-existence of communication due to language barriers, and the lack of supplies and the ill health of both the Assyrian refugees and the troops.
Given the negative factors, these individuals risked everything, to fulfil their objective. This showed how strong their resolve was, and as a nation we are grateful for it and we do salute them. As an Assyrian whom has some links to the refugees, I am bewildered as to why it is that these events reoccur, and we, as a stateless nation are right in the midst of all this anguish. Perhaps there are some links between the fact that by the virtue of our birthright we have and continue to suffer the consequences of which we have no control over. My heart is full of sorrow for the people that have endured so much, simply because they were different and an easy target. If I may quote Sir Stanley “ So we dismounted and placed two or three women or children upon our horses abandoning hundreds to their fate. Cruel as this was it was absolutely essential. So with heavy hearts and big lumps in our throats, we were forced to turn a deaf ear to the pleadings of these poor unfortunates, who called upon us to save them. To have drawn our revolvers and shot them would have been humane, knowing full well how cruelly they would be treated by the foe behind. Yes, my friends, the voices of the poor and helpless are alive today, the cry of the children searching for their parents, the anguish of a father seeking his daughter, desperation of a brother or a sister looking for his or her sibling. These are the voices, which to this day have and will continue to echo in my ears and yours alike, and the two clear messages that are expressed are of gratitude and thanks to all those that had helped, including Sir Stanley Savige and his troops. However, the more pressing message of all is the one, which calls every-one of us to fulfil our responsibilities towards mankind. And we must ask ourselves what it is we are doing in order to do fulfil this responsibility? I, as an individual, have a responsibility,
You, as the Government and the power players have a responsibility,
And we, as a nation have a responsibility, so that these events do not reoccur. Just as Sir Stanley, with the ultimate sacrifice, made it his responsibility to stop and assist The Assyrians. If we fail to learn from our past and take stock of our resolves, then all that has gone before us including the sacrifices, hardships, loss of lives and destruction can be seen as a futile passing of time.
Lt General Sir Stanley Savige: - As an individual, I’m grateful for your endeavours and self-sacrifice in delivering The Assyrians from an otherwise inevitable massacre. As a community we are indebted to you, for your belief in assisting the less fortunate. As a nation and as Australians we are proud of your dedication to the task at hand, and your faith in human kindness. In closing, let us all recognise that this is the unfortunate occurrence of history and let us take heart from the self-sacrifice of individuals. But, at the same time, let us recognise the existence of such a force as Sir Stanley. Together we can aim and do our utmost to prevent the repeat of history.
Lest we forget!
I’m truly privileged and honoured on behalf of the Victorian Assyrian Community, to show and express my utmost thanks and appreciation to the Australians who were part of a young nation, which committed its resources and its people to the fight against oppression and freedom of mankind. This is a unique experience for me, as, I’m sure, it is for most of you also. For the first time we are able to stand in public to draw attention to the misfortunes and deliberate miscarriage of any form of justice to Assyrians and the Assyrian Nation.
It’s also unique in the sense that we are able to recognise the assistance of foreign forces in delivering a nation from total genocide.
Presently, I have mixed emotions of joy, desperation and of sadness.
As an Australian, I’m proud and in ore of individuals such as Lt General Sir Stanley Savige and his forces. Their gallantry and devotion shone through in July and August of 1918, as they, against all odds, steadfastly delivered some 70,000 Assyrian refugees to safety between Sain Keleh and Tikkan Tappah.
I urge you to take a short journey with me and try to imagine the conditions they were to endure, given that these people were well trained and most probably well armed and equipped.
But the reality was that they weren’t only fighting the enemy of some hundreds strong, but also their movement would have been somewhat handicapped by the harshness of the country side, the lack or non-existence of communication due to language barriers, and the lack of supplies and the ill health of both the Assyrian refugees and the troops.
Given the negative factors, these individuals risked everything, to fulfil their objective. This showed how strong their resolve was, and as a nation we are grateful for it and we do salute them. As an Assyrian whom has some links to the refugees, I am bewildered as to why it is that these events reoccur, and we, as a stateless nation are right in the midst of all this anguish. Perhaps there are some links between the fact that by the virtue of our birthright we have and continue to suffer the consequences of which we have no control over. My heart is full of sorrow for the people that have endured so much, simply because they were different and an easy target. If I may quote Sir Stanley “ So we dismounted and placed two or three women or children upon our horses abandoning hundreds to their fate. Cruel as this was it was absolutely essential. So with heavy hearts and big lumps in our throats, we were forced to turn a deaf ear to the pleadings of these poor unfortunates, who called upon us to save them. To have drawn our revolvers and shot them would have been humane, knowing full well how cruelly they would be treated by the foe behind. Yes, my friends, the voices of the poor and helpless are alive today, the cry of the children searching for their parents, the anguish of a father seeking his daughter, desperation of a brother or a sister looking for his or her sibling. These are the voices, which to this day have and will continue to echo in my ears and yours alike, and the two clear messages that are expressed are of gratitude and thanks to all those that had helped, including Sir Stanley Savige and his troops. However, the more pressing message of all is the one, which calls every-one of us to fulfil our responsibilities towards mankind. And we must ask ourselves what it is we are doing in order to do fulfil this responsibility? I, as an individual, have a responsibility,
You, as the Government and the power players have a responsibility,
And we, as a nation have a responsibility, so that these events do not reoccur. Just as Sir Stanley, with the ultimate sacrifice, made it his responsibility to stop and assist The Assyrians. If we fail to learn from our past and take stock of our resolves, then all that has gone before us including the sacrifices, hardships, loss of lives and destruction can be seen as a futile passing of time.
Lt General Sir Stanley Savige: - As an individual, I’m grateful for your endeavours and self-sacrifice in delivering The Assyrians from an otherwise inevitable massacre. As a community we are indebted to you, for your belief in assisting the less fortunate. As a nation and as Australians we are proud of your dedication to the task at hand, and your faith in human kindness. In closing, let us all recognise that this is the unfortunate occurrence of history and let us take heart from the self-sacrifice of individuals. But, at the same time, let us recognise the existence of such a force as Sir Stanley. Together we can aim and do our utmost to prevent the repeat of history.
Lest we forget!
Speech by Lt Colonel Gainsford C.O. Defence School of Signals, representing the Australian Army
It is indeed my privilege to be here this morning, to honour and commemorate the life and achievements of Lt General Sir Stanley Savige. He is so admired and revered by the Assyrian community; the way he stood by your people and covered their evacuation is an indication of the calibre of the man. He embodied all the qualities of a brave and thoughtful soldier at a very difficult and critical time. Just hearing the stories how a young boy left home, led a life and a journey, and adventure through the Australian Army and beyond that and achieved such remarkable feats is something that can only inspire us all. To be revered as the soldiers General, there is no higher accolade that we can give him as a member of the Australian Army, that he soldered on to become an Army commander and General in world war two tells us what an exceptional man he was, he is an exemplar of the Australian Army, he displayed throughout his life outstanding character and courage, for those of us that served today we can only hope we can serve to some extent in the same manner in which he did. His work as the founder of Legacy has shown compassion for families of fallen comrades, his untimely death of the age of only sixty four due no doubt to his arduous and stressful life demonstrates a strong sense of duty and sacrifice. It is very gratifying seeing he is receiving the recognition he is long due by holding this commemoration service today. I’m sure his family is thrilled at the Advance Morwell society and Legacy who will later unveil a statue for him. Australian Victorians ought to be especially proud of this soldier, I hope by being here it will help heal the wounds and grief suffered by the Assyrian Nation in the events of 1918. The Australian Army is a proud organisation, we are proud at the traditions and accomplishments of Lt General Sir Stanley Savige and hold him in the highest regard, we honour and salute him here this morning.
It is indeed my privilege to be here this morning, to honour and commemorate the life and achievements of Lt General Sir Stanley Savige. He is so admired and revered by the Assyrian community; the way he stood by your people and covered their evacuation is an indication of the calibre of the man. He embodied all the qualities of a brave and thoughtful soldier at a very difficult and critical time. Just hearing the stories how a young boy left home, led a life and a journey, and adventure through the Australian Army and beyond that and achieved such remarkable feats is something that can only inspire us all. To be revered as the soldiers General, there is no higher accolade that we can give him as a member of the Australian Army, that he soldered on to become an Army commander and General in world war two tells us what an exceptional man he was, he is an exemplar of the Australian Army, he displayed throughout his life outstanding character and courage, for those of us that served today we can only hope we can serve to some extent in the same manner in which he did. His work as the founder of Legacy has shown compassion for families of fallen comrades, his untimely death of the age of only sixty four due no doubt to his arduous and stressful life demonstrates a strong sense of duty and sacrifice. It is very gratifying seeing he is receiving the recognition he is long due by holding this commemoration service today. I’m sure his family is thrilled at the Advance Morwell society and Legacy who will later unveil a statue for him. Australian Victorians ought to be especially proud of this soldier, I hope by being here it will help heal the wounds and grief suffered by the Assyrian Nation in the events of 1918. The Australian Army is a proud organisation, we are proud at the traditions and accomplishments of Lt General Sir Stanley Savige and hold him in the highest regard, we honour and salute him here this morning.