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The fallen airmen monument of Athikia

Athikia, Korinthia / North-Eastern Peloponnese

By Desolation Road

June 15^th, 2020

On a very foggy cold December day of 1946, airforce major and former hero pilot of the Greco-Italian war Prokopis Didaskalou (30) was guiding his Spitfire fighter jet between the steep slopes of Vermio mount in Northern Greece. Twenty months later, on a sunny and hot August day of 1948, pilot officer Vasilios Didaskalou (23) was at the cockpit of another Spitfire above the peaks of Grammos mount.

It was a period of intense air operations of the Greek government’s Air Force against the communist-driven Democratic Army of Greece (DSE); the country’s Civil War (1946-’49) was in full swing. During these two so contradictory days, the two pilots would both meet their tragic fates. The first one was a victim of the fog and the second of the anti-aircraft ground weapons.

Both men’s origins were from the region of Korinthia, northeast Peloponnese. Thus, in September 2009, on the outskirts of Athikia village (birthplace of Vasilios Didaskalou) a wonderful monument was inaugurated on their memory, and also honoring the other airmen of the region, dominated by a real RF-104G Starfighter jet.

This specific aircraft was constructed by FIAT for the needs of the German Navy. In 1986 it was bought by the Greek Air Force and joined the 335th Tiger Squadron based at 116th Combat Wing of Araxos. In May 1993 it was moved to the Air Base of Dekeleia and from 2000 to ’05 it was used for pilot training on Greece’s Air Force Academy. The airplane was later reinovated by the Museum of Air Force, using a new F-104G’s tail.

(Source: news247.gr / plane-pics.blogspot.com)

The fallen airmen monument of Athikia

The fallen airmen monument of Athikia

The fallen airmen monument of Athikia

Footnotes

Text & photography Copyright: Panos Diamantis 2011

FootNotes

Text & photography Copyright: Panos Diamantis 2011

© 2026 Desolation Road

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