Many years ago on Alonissos, in the Northern Sporades islands of Greece, I talked to an old man who told me there was an escape line there for Allied personnel with a submarine pickup; he had been involved, perhaps sheltering evaders. I remember vaguely that he talked about flashing a torch out to sea to communicate with the submarine. Alonissos was occupied by the Italians, no more onerously than anywhere else, and then the Germans (onerously - they shot 11 islanders in the village square on August 15th 1944). It's certainly a plausible story, there were many escape lines in Greece; there's a reference to one in Skyros (40-50km SE of Alonissos) in Levine's book Captivity, Flight & Survival in World War II for example. In addition, the Greek populace often aided escaped POWs and evaders off their own back. EAM/ELAS were active on Alonissos and they were certainly involved in aiding Allied personnel. So a simple question, folks - does anybody know anything about this? Could have been a one-off event rather than an established line; could have been cloak-and-dagger stuff. The islanders enjoy pulling the leg of the unwary foreigner, so it could also just have been a pile of σκατά... Cheers, Pat.
Hi Pat, what a story. this acelerates a ateresearches heart beat to no end. Next time you visit the island I might join yoin you. Stefan..
I haven't been there in nearly 30 years, alas! It's frustrating because I genuinely can't remember exactly what this chap said - I think he was a young man or even a boy at the time of the occupation. His house was in the north of the island and isolated. We shall see! Pat
