All photos © by Panagiotis Kostidis, submitted exclusively to www.ww2wrecks.com and used by permission

Text by Pierre Kosmidis

Florina town, in northwestern Greece, has witnessed fierce fighting during the initial stages of Operation “Marita”, the German invasion of Greece in 1941, as well as during the Greek Civil War, in 1949.

During the Greek Civil War, it is estimated that the Communist-controlled Democratic Army (ΔΣΕ-DSE) suffered losses of over 800 dead and 930 wounded, at the battle of Florina in 1949.

The dead of the ΔΣΕ-DSE were laid out in rows in a field on the outskirts of the city. The prisoners were taken to the scene to identify the bodies of their officers. Later the bodies were buried en masse in huge pits.

According to the General Staff of the British and US backed Hellenic Army, the DSE had 713 dead, who were buried in a mass grave east of the city, and 350 captured and surrendered – and the Greek government forces had 44 dead, 284 wounded and 35 missing.

According to the General Headquarters of the DSE, from the government controlled Greek Army 404 were killed, 976 wounded and 82 captured – while, according to the DSE General Dimitris Vlantas, the losses of the Democratic Army rose to 334 dead, 867 wounded, 14 deserters and 199 missing.

Following the end of the Civil War, the mountains around Florina were littered with all sorts of war relics, unexploded ordnance, testament of the fierce fighting in the area. It would take decades to render these areas safe again, a role which fell on the shoulders of the Greek Army’s EOD personnel.

Mr. Panagiotis Kostidis, a Greek Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer shared exclusively with www.ww2wrecks.com a series of photos he shot, during the unexploded ordnance identification and safe disposal process.

Among the rusty UXO, a not-so-common find was also located: The remains of what appears to be an unknown Greek Army soldier, judging on the items found around him, but unfortunately no ID was found, to definitevely put a name on this human being lost in the turmoil of war 8 decades ago.

Mr. Panagiotis Kostidis explains to www.ww2wrecks.com: “When human remains are located, during one of the EOD operations, we inform the Greek Police, which establishes control of the area. The Police then launches an investigation, according to which, no criminal circustances are associated to these remains. Then the Greek Army, takes this remains in one of the Military Cemetaries and put the remains to rest, according to our traditions, with a priest accompanying the dead soldier to his resting place”.