The item from the Department of Information on the interesting news that Malta was respresented at the Anzac Day commemoration held in Athens on April 23 is not altogether accurate when it states that there are "125 Maltese servicemen, mainly from World War I, following the Gallipoli campaign" buried in cemeteries in Greece.

Only one Maltese labourer, from Mellieha, died at Gallipoli and he is buried at Ari Burnu cemetery, close to Anzac Cove where the landings took place in 1915. One Maltese Australian who went missing on that day was never found. A couple of Maltese officers serving with British regiments were also killed and are buried at Gallipoli. The Maltese who are buried in Greece died elsewhere, during the Salonika campaign later, mostly of illness.

I presume the ceremony in Athens last month was held under the monument to the Anzacs who fought in Greece and Crete during World War II, the unveiling of which I attended as a journalist on April 25, 1952.

Greece was at that time in the grip of a Communist guerilla threat and there were strict precautions in Athens when King Paul performed the unveiling ceremony of this large memorial, a 50-foot prismatic marble obelisk, with atop a statue of Athena, the goddess of victory, holding a spear and a shield.

And thereby hangs a tale. My photographer, Charles B. Grech, and I were at the ceremony and had been placed near the obelisk but with the sun direct in the camera lens and with strict orders from the guards they would shoot if we moved from our place. I noticed that when the king was to walk past us we could mix with the official party and take up position on the opposite side of the large square at Mars Field Park on Alexandras Avenue. This we did to the chagrin of the guards. However, there was more to come.

As the king pulled the flag which covered the statue, this stuck in the spear and helmet of Athena and would not be released. His Majesty became furious, started shouting at his acting prime minister, Sophocles Venizelos, stamped his feet and walked away followed by Queen Frederika and Crown Prince Constantine, in scout uniform.

In the commotion Charles and I thought discretion was the better part of valour and, to evade the guards, we mingled with the crowd, who were expressing their delight at the king's embarrassment by shouting and gesticulating.

I thought there was a further story so we walked round a nearby block and waited - and, soon after, the wail of fire-engine rent the air. This parked by the monument, a ladder was rolled out and a fireman walked to the top and, rather unceremoniously, removed the flag. We were the only photographers who had remained behind, took our pictures and I wrote out a full illustrated story of the incident in the Times of Malta of May 1, 1952.

This reached the Greek Royal family who protested to Admiral Sir John Edelsten, the C-in-C of the Mediterranean Fleet, as we were then aboard the carrier HMS Theseus in Phaleron Bay. What could the Admiral do? The story had been published and we had scooped everyone else.