Shot down but not forgotten: The RAAF Beaufighter pilot Amichai Honig’ story
By Pierre Kosmidis Research and photos by George Karelas and Manolis Bardanis It all started with a black and white photo, depicting an aerial attack against a ship. Rated among the best in Greece, respected researchers George Karelas and Manolis Bardanis, managed to connect the dots and after a painstaking process and thorough research, they managed […]
Then and Now, 1941-2019: The “Guns of Navarone” in Crete
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos, documentation and information provided by Mr. Nikolaos Suladakis Black and white photo and photo of shell case by Mr. Nikolaos Melakis A well-known WW2 movie, the Guns of Navarone, starring Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, about the efforts of an Allied commando unit to destroy a seemingly impregnable German fortress […]
The Odyssey of Jacob Bensoua, a World War II Greek soldier of Jewish descent
Jacob, far left, and servicemen work on a truck. The Odyssey of Jacob Bensoua, a Greek of Jewish descent, during the turbulent times of WW2 and the ensuing Greek Civil War (1946-49), is published for the first time. Jacob told his story to his daughter Mattika Rosenthal and I personally wish to thank his son […]
25 March 1942: Greeks march defiantly on Independence Day, despite the triple occupation of Greece by Germans, Italians and Bulgarians
By Pierre Kosmidis By April 1941, Greece became yet another country under Axis occupation, after 8 months of bitter fighting against the Italians and the Germans. The winter of 1941-42 was one of the harshest, with people dying of famine and exposure to the elements in the streets of Athens and all across Greece. Wednesday […]
Greece in April 1941: A series of photos from the first days of the German Occupation
Knyaguinya Maria Luisa: The moment a steamship exploded in Piraeus port, 30 May 1941
By Pierre Kosmidis Research by Tony Allen, Dimitris Galon and Ted Kostantinov The Bulgarian steamship Knyaguinya Maria Luisa was destroyed in Piraeus harbour on May 30th, 1941. Her deck cargo of benzine in drums caught fire and this detonated her cargo of munitions. The ship blew up with an explosion that sank three ships in the harbour and caused some […]
Still missing in Greece: Soldier gunner Michele Mone of Italian Division “BRENNERO” 47° group field anti-aircraft artillery
By Pierre Kosmidis Photo and information submitted by Giuseppe Monaco and used by permission Another forgotten story from WW2 comes to ligh, thanks to Mr. Giuseppe Monaco, the great-grandson of soldier gunner Michele Mone, born in Piana di Caiazzo in the province of Caserta on 2 February 1921. Unfortunately Michele Mone is still unaccounted for and […]
The Greek Historical Revival Group at the 2019 Tanagra Air Show
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos submitted by Giorgos Skaniakos and used by permission The Greek Historical Revival Group, in cooperation with Khaki Depot and the Athens War Museum, presented a representation of soldiers, ranging from 1919 to the Vietnam War at the 2019 Tanagra Air Show. Here is a selection of photos from the event […]
27 January 1944: A unique photo of four downed Luftwaffe aircraft in Mykonos, Greece
By Pierre Kosmidis Photo by Manolis Bardanis Research by Manolis Bardanis and George Karelas The serene beaches of Rinia, close to Mykonos island, have a tragic past, which was unveiled thanks to the combined efforts of Greek researchers Kostas Koukovinis and Thanos Antonelos Now, thanks to respected researcher Manolis Bardanis, who searched the archives of […]
ΒΟΤΡΥΣ: Το ελληνικό πλοίο που βυθίστηκε στην Αλβανία το 1940. Ο Γιώργος Καρέλας ξετυλίγει το μίτο του μυστηρίου.
By Pierre Kosmidis Ιστορική έρευνα και φωτογραφίες: Γιώργος Καρέλας Άλλη μια σημαντική επιτυχία του διακεκριμένου ερευνητή και έμπειρου αυτοδύτη Γιώργου Καρέλα, έρχεται να φωτίσει την άγνωστη ιστορία ενός ναυαγίου ελληνικού πλοίου, στις 29 Δεκεμβρίου του 1940, το οποίο βυθίστηκε στο λιμάνι των Αγίων Σαράντα, από την ιταλική αεροπορία. Η εξιστόρηση της έρευνας, της αναζήτησης, της […]