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! 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 […]
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 […]
PHOTOS-VIDEOS – The Liberty Convoy: Reliving history through WW2 vehicles – Colonna Della Liberta 2017
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos: Akiss Paraskevopoulos In order to commemorate the Liberation Day in Italy, Colonna Della Liberta (Liberty Convoy) is an event that brings together WW2 vehicles and reenactors. Italy’s Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione), also known as the Anniversary of the Liberation (Anniversario della liberazione d’Italia), Anniversary of the Resistance (anniversario della […]
Planehunters: Finding WW2 crashed aircraft and keeping the memories alive
By Pierre Kosmidis They may have been killed over 7 decades ago, but their memory is still alive, thanks to the efforts of Planehunters, a group which has dedicated time and resources locating, unearthing and finding the human stories behind crashed WW2 aircraft in the area of Belgium. Benny Ceulaers, Chairman of Planehunters Recovery Team, […]
Rod Pearce and his Odyssey in Papua New Guinea for WW2 Wrecks
By Pierre Kosmidis Rod Pearce has dedicated his time and efforts finding underwater aircraft wrecks and seeking closure to the families of hundreds -if not thousands- of Missing in Action (MIA) airmen from all nations that fought during World War Two. READ THE FIRST PART HERE Here is the second part of his very interesting […]
Preserving History: The 14-year-old behind the WWII Veterans History Project
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos: WWII Veterans History Project World War Two may have ended back in 1945 and young men who fought back then may now be octogenarians or nonagenarians, but their memories are being kept for future generations, thanks to the efforts of a 14-year-old young man, Benjamin Mack-Jackson. Benjamin is the founder of the WWII Veterans History Project, aiming at […]
FOUND! The Japanese “flying swallow”
By Pierre Kosmidis Rod Pearce has dedicated his time and efforts finding underwater aircraft wrecks and seeking closure to the families of hundreds -if not thousands- of Missing in Action (MIA) airmen from all nations that fought during World War Two. Rod has been diving in Papua New Guinea for 40 years and is credited […]
Gemma Smith: The first woman scuba diver exploring the secrets of the Antikythera Shipwreck
By Pierre Kosmidis Diver Gemma Smith Photo Credit: Brett Seymour Technical diver Gemma Smith is the first woman ever to dive at the world famous Antikythera Shipwreck, which yielded some of the most important ancient sculptures ever to be found on the seabed, as well as the Antikythera mechanism or astrolabe. Originally thought to […]
WarGen: Recording the memories of WWII veterans before they are gone
By Pierre Kosmidis Dan Snow and James Holland , along with other historians launched a very interesting project, WarGen.org , whose aim is to preserve the testimonies of veterans, both men and women, who have served during World War 2. Millions of men and women served and lived through World War II, but sadly now only […]