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defeated Greek communists sought refuge in
communist countries throughout the eastern
half Europe.
Virtually unknown to the wider public is
the participation of the Greek Expeditionary
Force in the Korean War, when the country
heeded the UN call and, together with other
states, made efforts to counter North Korea’s
aggression against the South.
The contingent consisted of an infantry
battalion, called the Sparta Battalion, backed
up by a transport squadron with seven Douglas
C-47s. The Greek soldiers proved themselves
in the conflict, having some experience in
this type of warfare unlike many of their UN
colleagues, and saw several years of combat
against communist guerrillas there. More than
ten thousand ground troops were deployed and
remained in theater after the armistice was
signed up to 1955.
Coverage of more recent history includes
displays about the Greek-Turkish clashes in
Cyprus and the division of the island, a very
sensitive topic to this day.
An attractive display is the mini-submarine,
located in front of the entrance to the museum
building. It is an Italian-made CosMoS
CE2F/X60 submarine with a length of around
eight metres and a weight of over two tonnes,
designed to transport two divers, equipment
and material. The Hellenic Navy bought
a total of four of them and operated them from
the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. They were
used mainly on American-made submarines
of the Balao and Tench Class. The vessel has
an interesting light blue paintwork, which is
undoubtedly suitable for the azure coastal
waters of Greece.
Very unusual is the collection of small arms
literally from all over the world, to which
a large hall is dedicated. It includes such gems
as Turkish and Arab weapons, and surprisingly,
a samurai outfit, complete with helmet
and armor, hailing from the 14th century.
The collection also includes unique
weapons used during the Greek Revolution.
This collection was donated to the museum
by private collector and philanthropist Petros
Saroglos and is the most famous collection of
weapons in the country.
As already mentioned, the collections and
displays are very interesting, often even
unique, and the museum is definitely worth
a visit. The entrance fee is 6 Euros, which is the
price of two coffees. And if the visitor comes to
Athens in the summer, they and their entourage
will certainly appreciate the pleasant coolness
in the museum building.
Korean War diorama.
Plaque commemorating the Greek contribution to the Battle of El Alemain. A unique collection of small arms donated by Petros Sargolos.
REPORT
INFO Eduard14
December 2024