The battle for Greece & Crete.pdf - Army Museum of South Australia

Recollections of a Greek Youth a Partisan a HeroineWithout the assistance and tenacity of young Greeks, like Suzan Tsirekas (now an Australian) lifewould have been difficult for the Greek and allied Partisan in their fight against the Nazi’s.“ I was born in Northern Greece in the village of Ano Komi about 10 kms from Kozani. I lived with mywidowed mother and three younger brothers.The author in the village ofAno Komi and propertiesstill with links to theTsirekas familyTowards the end of 1940 the German Government requested they be allowed free passage throughGreece. This was declined and on the 28 th October, 1940 a day still commemorated in Greece, on eachhill and mountain top large signs were erected stating the Greek word “Ohi” meaning No. ………I remember on the 14 th November 1940 Kozani Airport was bombed, our first contact with the war andthe next day, as I was fetching water from the village well, a wave of bombers flew over to again attackKozani.By this time the Greek men were fleeing ahead of the invading army and many passed through ourvillage, some lost with little in the way of clothing. We still had my father’s clothes so these wereprovided to those men.In April 1941 we were told the Germans were coming to occupy our area and we were instructed wemust purchase and fly a German flag to show our support. We did not wish to comply with this orderand besides we were too poor to do so. In some surrounding villages there were followers of the NaziParty who collaborated with the enemy but in our village I think there were only two collaborators whowere taken care of by the Partisans that were now forming and hiding in the mountains in dangerousand adverse conditions.These were very hard times as the Germans confiscated the farmers stock and crops and we had toforage for wild vegetables in the fields.In September 1942, while looking for Partisans, German soldiers came to our house and aftersearching it, set our house on fire, One Greek man who was accompanying them pleaded as it was aWidow with small children and the fire was put out but many houses in the village were destroyed.In Kozani was a very large house belonging to a rich family which was taken over by the Germans asheadquarters with the family forced to live in the servant’s quarters. Two of the daughters understoodthe German language and were able to convey information to the leaders of the partisans to be passedon to the men in the mountains.As a very young girl, being able to get passed the Germans without arousing too much suspicion, afriend and I were used to take messages. We did this by walking back and forth from the village toKozani with notes tied into our pigtails. Whenever we heard a vehicle we would hide in the wheatfields until they passed.In these years many terrible things happened and in one case 18 partisans were coming from the hillsalong a creek in a valley. About 20 yards up the hill in a railway cutting, hidden from below sat amachine gun nest. No one survived. Also in Kozani, on a hill overlooking the town is a Church wherethere is a memorial to some Australian and New Zealand soldiers. At the time of liberation these menwere parachuting in but hidden in the Church was a lone Machine Gunner and they were killed beforereaching the ground.- 7 -