Greek Sacred Squadron

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 19/11/2016 14:37:01

We have been provided with some photos of the above unit who operated with combined SAS/SBS raiding forces. They are in an album which can be accessed on the link:

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/WW2/comb+ops/greek+sacred+squadron/

I claim to be no expert on this unit but have pieced together information I found and posted it in the album. Many of the photos have annotations written by the photographer who was one of the SAS/SBS raiders and is thought to be the man in photo titled Unknown (1).

If anyone has anymore information please post it here

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 03/02/2012 21:48:43

I'm very pleased that we have been sent these photos and that we are displaying them in our Gallery.
The Greek Sacred Squadron veterans have always felt that their part in the War has been overlooked or forgotten.

I have a photo of the Greek Sacred Squadron Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum that I will post in the near future.

We Will Remember Them.

Nick

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 03/02/2012 22:28:46

A little more information culled from the Greek Army website...

When the Germans occupied Greece, many Greeks fled to the Middle East and formed the Greek I and II Brigades but there was a large influx of officers: too many to be absorbed into the existing units. They therefore decided to create a new unit composed entirely of officers which was originally called the 'Band of Elite Immortals' and consisted of 130 Army, Navy and Air Force officers, 40 soldiers and 30 auxiliaries. It was later renamed the 'Sacred Band'. They wore a beige beret and had an emblem of an ancient sword with a phrase Spartan mothers said to their warrior sons, translating to something like "bring back your shield or be brought back on it"

This site has a few more photos http://astypalaia.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/%ce%bf-%ce%b9%ce%b5%cf%81%ce%bf%cf%83-%ce%bb%ce%bf%cf%87%ce%bf%cf%83-%cf%83%cf%84%ce%bf-%ce%b1%ce%b9%ce%b3%ce%b1%ce%b9%ce%bf/

Email from Deane Ceaton:

Good morning Geoff,

Whilst researching for information relating to the Greek Sacred Regiment Raiding Forces, i was pleased to come across your site and in particular the information supplied by Gary Cootes [ 3/2/2012].

My farther [now passed on] was attached to Raiding Forces and i have attached images of his citation
and badge.

Unfortunately my farther would not talk of the war or his experiences during the conflict so little is known apart from his campaign medals and some scant details of his service record.

Any assistance relating to the involvement of Raiding Forces in the Dodecanese would be greatly appreciated.

I tried to join the forum but the system saw me as a spammer!

Will return to the web site now and view some of the information you have amassed.

Thank you for a great point of access to this information.

Kind regards,

Deane Ceaton.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 21/03/2012 13:00:42

Hi Deane,

There is a little more information about the operations carried out in the Aegean Islands on the Greek version of Wikipedia & I've translated the places and dates below. Do you know from your father's service records which islands he was on as I may be able to find out more for you?

Julie

From http://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%99%CE%B5%CF%81%CF%8C%CF%82_%CE%9B%CF%8C%CF%87%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%9C%CE%AD%CF%83%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%91%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AE%CF%82

Samos (3 October to 19 November 1943)
Samos (7 to 18 March 1944)
Psara (29 to 31 March 1944)
Lesbos (3 to 4 April 1944)
Ios (26 to 27 April 1944)
Amorgos (28 to 29 April 1944)
Paros (2 to 5 May 1944)
Chios (6 May 1944)
Samos (15 to 24 May 1944)
Chios - Lagada village (9 to 15 June 1944)
Lesbos - Geras Bay, Mytilene (15 to 21 June 1944)
Kalymnos (30 June to 2 July 1944)
Symi (13 to 14 July 1944)
Karpathos (21 to 25 August 1944)
Santorini (27 August 1944)
Kos (7 to 8 September 1944)
Occupation and liberation of Chios (14 September 1944)
Occupation and liberation of Mykonos (25 to 28 September 1944)
Occupation and liberation of Samos (4 October 1944)
Involved in the liberation of Athens from the Germans (14 October 1944)
Occupation and liberation of Naxos (13 to 15 October 1944)
Occupation and liberation of Lemnos (16 to 17 October 1944)
Occupation and liberation of Milos (23 October 1944 to 9 May 1945)
Tilos (27 to 28 October 1944)
Nisyros (1 to 2 February 1945)
Tilos (1 March 1945)
Rhodes (1 to 2 May 1945)

I've just come across this film clip that ties in with the photos of the German surrender in our Gallery.

Towards the end of the clip, the footage shows the German Commandant, Von Wagner, arriving by boat, being escorted through the streets and signing the surrender.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F9AUSNFmJxQ

Nick

Nice find Nick.

The Greek at the beginning of the clip says "Part 2: Handover of the Dodecanese from the Germans to the British"

There is also this clip "Part 1: Arrival of the British in the Dodecanese"

http://youtu.be/Fq3DdTr28NI

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 19/11/2016 10:24:12

Dear commando veterans,

I am writing a few lines to inform you, that we maintain a Veterans Club in Greece, called "Sacred Squadron-Raiders Club", and I have the honour to be the Chairman of it.

Our members include the old Sacred Squadron veterans of the WW 2 (three of whom are still in life), and of course, later retired personnel, of the Greek Special Forces units. Actually, one of the Sacred Squadron "old sweats", General Korkas, is in London today, invited by the SAS Association to participate in their 75th years jubilee. He was a member of the Force 133 of that time, he fought in a lot of the Aegean islands, and he was present during the german surrender at Symi island, in the 8th of May 1945.

Reading through your excellent website, I saw with pleasure and somehow with excitement, that you also keep in memory your old comrades in wartime, showing pictures and making reference about the Greek Sacred Squadron. (Ieros Lochos)

In my afore-mentioned capacity, I would like to thank you very much on behalf of our Club. We also, never forget allies with whom we fought side by side during wars.

Unfortunately, we have lost our contact since your old comrades and our veterans either passed away, or became too old and our bonds have loosened.

I think that it is our duty to respect our common history, by restoring our lost contact and enhance our relationship in the near future.

You can find more information about our Club in our web site: www.lki.gr

By the way, for those who are interesting in reading more about the operations of the Greek Sacred Squadron during the II WW in the Aegean, they can find a lot of information in english at the link below:

http://lki.gr/Files/History_Sacred_Squadron.pdf

It would be very nice if Geoff Slee, could upload the above at his eccellent site (http://www.combinedops.com/index.htm). The Aegean war is not so well known, and mainly the special operations in the Aegean, during the WW2

I am looking forward to hearing from you

Best regards,

Lt. Gen (ret) Nikolaos Lazaris

Chairete

It is very good to hear from you Lt. Gen. Lazari.

I have a particular interest in the Sacred Squadron as I spent a number of years living in Greece so I am looking forward to learning more about your organisation.

Kind regards,

Julie

Dear General Lazaris,

Welcome and thank you so very much for contacting the Commando Veterans Association.
Your email was very exciting because Julie W and I have, quite recently, discussed The Sacred Squadron and we'd agreed, with our National Secretary, that as Julie had spent some time living in Greece than she should be the CVA's Greek Correspondent - I'm sure you'll find much to talk about.
I look forward to hearing a lot more about Ieros Lochos.

Regards,
Nick

Please be informed, that the history of the Greek Sacred Squadron (Middle East) has been uploaded on the Combined Ops website and you can read it by using the link:

http://combinedops.com/SACRED_SQUADRON.htm

Additionally, I provide you with a picture of their monument in Athens, located at the "Field of Mars" (Pedion tou Areos)

Kind regards,

N. Lazaris

Many thanks for advising us of this. I have added a link to the excellent account of the Squadron's history on the Combined Operations website, both on our main site entry and our gallery entry for the Sacred Squadron.

It is just over 4 years since Gary Cootes first provided us with the photos in our gallery and I am glad it has resulted in a full account of the Squadron being published.

Dear Commando Veterans,

On behalf of our Sacred Squadron & Raiders Club, I am wishing you an extraordinary and joyful Easter!

Warmerst regards,

N. Lazaris

And a Happy Easter to all in the Sacred Squadron & Raiders Club, and to everyone who celebrates Easter.

Χαρούμενα Πάσχα to General Lazaris and the Sacred Squadron & Raiders Club

Nick