James Zampelis: O μοναδικός Αυστραλός ελληνικής καταγωγής που σκοτώθηκε στη Μάχη της Κρήτης το 1941
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and additional media submitted by Jim Claven and used by permission READ THE ENGLISH VERSION Μια άγνωστη ιστορία στο ευρύ κοινό ήρθε στο φως χάρη στις προσπάθειες του Αυστραλού ιστορικού Jim Claven, ο οποίος ερευνά εδώ και χρόνια την παρουσία των Αυστραλών στην Ελλάδα. Πρόκειται για τον James Zampelis, ή […]
The search for James Zampelis, the only Australian of Greek descent Killed in Action in Crete, 1941
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and additional media submitted by Jim Claven and used by permission On the morning of 24 May 1941 James Zampelis, an Australian of Greek descent, was assisting wounded men close to Mournies village in Crete. The Battle was raging and Ju87 Stuka dive bombers were pounding the Allied positions. A direct bomb hit killed […]
FOUND! A downed WW2 German Bf109 fighter aircraft frozen in time!
By Pierre Kosmidis The island of Crete, the “graveyard of the nazi fallschirmjagers”, a title earned because of the horrific casualties the German elite paratroopers suffered during the invasion of the island in May 1941, is a battlefield that still yields relics related to the fierce battles fought on the ground, as well as at […]
FOUND! A Beaufighter shot down in 1943 near Naxos, Greece
BY PIERRE KOSMIDIS PHOTOS & TEXT: GEORGE RIGOUTSOS www.rigoutsosphotos.com At a depth of 34 meters off the coast of Naxos, approximately half a nautical mile from the coast, divers found a RAF Bristol Beaufighter in 2007. Based on testimonies of fishermen, but also the inhabitants who had seen the events, this specific Beaufighter was shot […]
Found! An intact Ju 52 (Werk #6590) ditched in 1943 in the Aegean Sea, Greece
By Pierre Kosmidis According to www.aviationarchaeology.gr the Ju-52 located close to Kea island, Greece, is among the most well-preserved WW2 aircraft that have ever been found in the Greek seas. The Ju-52, with construction number Werk # 6590, was lost in 1943 after ditching northwest of Kea. The wreck of the aircraft is located at […]
The forgotten tragedies of the Aegean and the Ionian during WW2
By Pierre Kosmidis Italian POWs in Corfu Island, Greece, 1943. Unfortunately, most of the soldiers on this photo most probably drowned during their transportation to mainland Greece (Photo: Bundesarchiv) A series of forgotten tragedies claimed the lives of more than 13,000 Italian Prisoners of War during their transportation from the Greek islands of the Aegean and […]
Sabotage in Greece and Operation “Noah’s Ark”: An interview with author Bernard O’ Connor
By Pierre Kosmidis Bernard O’ Connor is the author of the book “Sabotage in Greece”, which offers a unique insider’s view on the Operations conducted in occupied Greece by the Allies during World War II. Many are aware of the Operation to blow up Gorgopotamos bridge, which was the one and only event that united […]
DFS-230: The Luftwaffe glider used during Operation Merkur, the Battle of Crete
By Pierre Kosmidis The main transport glider used by the Luftwaffe (German air force) during the invasion of Crete was the DFS-230. It was designed to carry 10 fully equipped soldiers (including the pilot, who was expected to fight as an infantryman after landing) or a freight load of about 1200 kg. Seats were arranged […]
WW2 The Lost Footage: Operation Marita, Greece April 1941
By Pierre Kosmidis The blitzkrieg against Greece, codenamed “Operation Marita” started on April 6, 1941. When Operation Marita began on 6 April, the bulk of the Greek army was on the border with Albania, then a protectorate of Fascist Italy, from which the Italian troops were trying unsuccessfully to conquer Greece. German troops invaded through Bulgaria, […]
May 30, 1941: When two Greeks removed the nazi flag from the Acropolis
By Pierre Kosmidis It has been acknowledged as one of the first act of resistance against the nazis in Europe and the first in Greece; On this day, in the late hours of May 30, 1941 two young Greeks removed the nazi flag from the Acropolis in Athens. Manolis Glezos and Lakis Santas, two young […]