S-ST Go 242

[byron-]

There was no airport in Lamia Aviator

[Larry deZeng]

But it is listed in the AirMin A.I.2.(b) list for Greece date 7 September 1943:

No. 73 LAMIA 38 52 N - 22 26 E

So at one time or another it may have been used as an emergency landing ground or landing ground. As such, it could have been simply a level field or pasture where aircraft could alight and take off if and when needed.

L.

[byron-]

Hi Larry,

maybe on paper, i don`t know, if you say so, it is so!
But I have a lot of friends in Lamia, one of them from the well known Tsangaris family, he dos`nt live anymore, was an activ member in age of 16 of the resistance.

Frank Meyer is refering of him in his book "Vermißt in Griechenland. Schicksale im griechische Freiheitskampf 1941-1944 .
Ein Vierteljahrhundert forschte der Verfasser nach dem Schicksal seines Vaters, der 1943 von griechischen Partisanen entführt und von der Wehrmacht für vermißt erklärt wurde ." If i remember well, Tsangaris was one of the men who kidnaped the writers father.

http://www.hfmeyer.com/german/veroef...gen/index.html

We talked about that matter of an airport there. He said, he never noticed a single plain starting or landing in that area.
I would like to refer here about a fine german officer who was the commander of the "Stadtkommandantur Lamia". He was Oberst W. Sitzenstock. He saved many lifes during the occupation time, no one citizen was executed aslong as he was in charge.

All this is out of our subject but the stories of the resistance are fascinating.

[Larry deZeng]

Thanks for the very interesting information, Byron. I agree about the resistance: those were some extraordinarily brave people because they knew what would happen to them if picked up and turned over to the SS, Gestapo or the GFP.

As for Lamia, the Luftwaffe always made lists of Notlandeplätze as well as the active airfields for those countries in which they operated. The 7 September 1943 list I referred to identifies 159 "airfields" in Greece and, as you and I both know, there was actually only a small fraction of those that were actually used. So I think Lamia was probably one of the Notlandeplätze. It is entirely possible that it was never actually used during the war years. A Notlandeplatz was just a level area 1,000 meters or more in length that had been inspected and judged usable for emergency landings.

L.

[byron-]

That`s to understand now Larry,

Lw. prepared in different places these "Notlandeplätze" for a case it would be needed. This is german organizing spirit.

But, also the resistance had a lot of such improvised airfields on the mountains where british and american planes landed and brought men, amunition and supplies from Kairo. And thousands of gold british sovereigns. There are people in Greece who are still searching to locate a treasure.

I found in the Wardiaries of Hgr E, lists with such airfields, the germans new everything but couldn`t do much. A fight against determined partisans inside their own country and the population on their side, is hopeless.

[Larry deZeng]

A fight against determined partisans inside their own country and the population on their side, is hopeless.

I wonder why that makes me think of A F G H A N I S T A N and the T A L I B A N ?

[byron-]

Tja Larry,

not only you is wondering

[Aviator]

As i can see, an interesting discussion about greek airfields developed.Interesting about these Notlandeplätze. Thanks both!
Larry,is it possible to make this Airmin list of greek airfields available here or private?
Thx a lot,

regards,

Aviator

[byron-]

It would interest me a lot as well

[Larry deZeng]

No, Aviator, but you could probably e-mail AFHRA ( www.afhra.af.mil ) and ask for photocopies, microfilm or DVD of their British Air Ministry files on the wartime airfields in Greece.

L.