By Pierre Kosmidis

Photos © Ntinos Mpampakos, submitted to www.ww2wrecks.com and used by permission

Kypseli is a mountain village in the prefecture of Kastoria. It is built at an altitude of 1,080 meters on the slopes of Mount Voio and is one of the most mountainous settlements in the prefecture of Kastoria. Kypseli belongs to the municipality of Nestorio and its population according to the 2001 census is 82 inhabitants.

During the Greek Civil War, 1946-1949, a Hellenic Royal Air Force aircraft crashed in the area and a gear wheel was found in the vicinity.

Mr. Ntinos Mpampakos, 29 years old, has shared the photos he has shot, during his numerous visits on the mountains, on the northwestern borders of Greece with Albania, showing the beauty of Nature, but also the relics of War.

One such relic is this gear wheel, which was finally identified, thanks to researchers Mr. Ioannis Mylonas and Nr. Ntinos Mpampakos:

Aircraft: AT-6D or Harvard IIa,

Base: Larisa AFB,

Mission Area: Grammos – Karaouli 12/08/48,

Crew: P/O Theodoridis, P/O Polimenakos,

History: Hit by A/A fire became ablaze and crashed, crew escaped using their parachutes.

Mr. Nikos Dinis, former municipal president of the village (1982-1986) who today maintains the village cafe, open winter and summer, told us that these all-stone great mansions, the old residences and the old houses:

“Among the many stories told by the locals, there is one that they remember very well.

It happened in 1948 when a plane was shot down, during the Greek Civil War, between the Government Army and the Democratic Army.

The crew managed to use the parachutes which, reaching down, became entangled in the fir trees.

The airmen were saved, but as they were hanging from the branches they could do nothing but wait to be freed.

The Government Army as well as the Democratic Army wanted to take them first.

A deadly battle was fought until finally the Government Army prevailed and freed the tangled airmen to safety.

After twenty years (1968) the retired Hellenic Air Force officers’ association adopted Kypseli, baptizing two children, who were also the crew of the aircraft.

In fact, outside the entrance of the cafe you will see the built-in marble slab.

The only visible letters and numbers on the gear wheel are a “1”, a “D” and a “G”.