Execution of 42 policemen in Achaia (Greece, 1944)
A massive execution of 42 policemen by guerillas in a rural area of Achaia occurred in April 1944 during the German occupation of Greece. In Greek the event is often referred as the “Execution of Policemen at Soulinari (Εκτέλεση Αστυνομικών στο Σουληνάρι)”, after the toponym of the exact area of execution.
On April 8, 1944 a number of police officers, mostly recent graduates from the Police School, departed by train from Athens to assume their duties at local Police Stations in Peloponnese and Corfu. The train was derailed and attacked by guerillas of the Greek National Liberation Front (EAM) at a place called “Derveni” (meaning “narrow passage”). Nine policemen were killed on the spot, and 40 others were arrested (in some sources the number may be slightly different). They were forced to march bare-foot for about 6 days on mountainous terrain, and were finally executed on April 16th, the Day of the Greek Easter, 1944. Two escaped death with heavy injuries, and five others were released because they were locals. The bodies were precariously burned and buried. After the end of the War the bones were transferred and buried in the 1st Cemetery of Patras, in a tomb bearing the Greek flag, the insignia of the Police and the names and ranks of the dead. [1] Another monument consisting of a concrete Cross and a plaque bearing the names of the victims was constructed at the site of the executions, and unveiled in 1959. [2][3]
The place of execution is close to the contemporary villages of Paos, Vesini. Soulinari[4] and Dechouni (now abandoned), in the prefecture of Kalavryta, Achaia.[5]
The Greek leftist history researcher and author Dimitris Palaiologopoulos mentions this case as one of the many massive executions carried out by EAM during the German occupation (April 1941 - October 1944), which provoked negative reactions to the Greek population. [6]
The news about the execution, as well as the names of the victims were published in Greek newspapers (then controlled by the puppet government and the German occupation forces).[7]
According to the private researcher Hermann Frank Meyer (1940-2009) who investigated the atrocities of the German forces in the Balkans during WWII, soon after the event 60 Greek civilians were executed for reprisals. [8][9] Meyer refers to the transcription of the Hostages Trial where the attack on the railway and the reprisals are mentioned.
References[edit]
- ↑ [https://apothesis.eap.gr/bitstream/repo/41481/1/std503366_panagiotaras%20panagiotis_29-7-19.pdf Peloponnesos newspaper, No. 8972, May 9, 1974, in: Panagiotaras Panagiotis, “Public history and memory. The divided memory of the 2nd World War. Memorials of the Resistance and the Civil War in Achaia and Heleia”, GraduationThesis, Greek Open University, Patras, 2019, p. 64, footnote 145, photograph of the tomb in p. 148 . In Greek. Παναγιωτάρας, Παναγιώτης, «ΔΗΜΟΣΙΑ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΝΗΜΗ.Η ΔΙΧΑΣΜΕΝΗ ΜΝΗΜΗ ΤΟΥ Β΄ ΠΑΓΚΟΣΜΙΟΥ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΥ. ΜΝΗΜΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΑΝΤΙΣΤΑΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΕΜΦΥΛΙΟΥ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΧΑΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΗΛΕΙΑ», Διπλωματική Εργασία, Ελληνικό Ανοικτό Πανεπιστήμιο, Πάτρα, 2019, p. 64, 148.]
- ↑ “Unveiling of the Memorial for the Heroes and Martyrs of the Civil Police at Soulinari of Kalavryta”, Police Chronicles, Sep. 15, 1959, pp. 7393-7396. In Greek. "Αποκαλυπτήρια του μνημείου των ηρώων και μαρτύρων της Αστυνομίας Πόλεων Πόλεων εις το Σουληνάρι Καλαβρύτων, Αστυνομικά Χρονικά, 15-9-1959, σ. 7393-7396
- ↑ Photograph of the monument at Soulinari. From Panagiotaras P., p. 147.
- ↑ Soulinari is a toponym encountered also in other places in Greece.
- ↑ “The Martyrs of the Police”, Police Chronicles, published by the Headquarters of the Civil Police, Dec. 15, 1958, pp. 6505-6510. In Greek. "Οι μάρτυρες της Αστυνομίας", Αστυνομικά Χρονικά, έκδοση Αρχηγείου Αστυνομίας Πόλεων, 15 Δεκεμβρίου 1958, 6505-6510
- ↑ Palaeologopoulos Dimitrios, “The Civil War in the prefecture of Kalavryta, 1946-1949”, Athens, Paraskenio Publishers, 2001, pp. 21-22. In Greek. Δημήτριος Παλαιολογόπουλος, Ο εμφύλιος πόλεμος στην επαρχία Καλαβρύτων, 1946-1949, Αθήνα: Παρασκήνιο, 2001, σ. 21, 22.
- ↑ Eleftheron Vima (Ελεύθερο Βήμα) newspaper, April 27, May 2 and 4, 1944.
- ↑ Meyer Hermann Frank, “Von Wien nach Kalavryta: Die blutige Spur der 117. Jäger-Division durch Serbien und Griechenland”, Mannheim Möhnesee: Bibliopolis 2002, p. 516 snippet view. Greek edition, Από τη Βιέννη στα Καλάβρυτα. Τα αιματηρά ίχνη της 117ης Μεραρχίας Καταδρομών στη Σερβία και την Ελλάδα, Εστία, 2004, p. 559.
- ↑ [ http://www.hfmeyer.com/greek/publications/wien/suehne.html Meyer H.F., "Sühnemaßnahmen" auf der Peleponnes, ]: “3.5.44 . “50 communists shot and 10 hanged for train sabotage near Chani-Derveni“
This article "Execution of 42 policemen in Achaia (Greece, 1944)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Execution of 42 policemen in Achaia (Greece, 1944). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
