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Greece during the Second World War

Ship pennants in Italian and German occupation zones
Principality of Pindus

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Ship pennants in Italian and German occupation zones

Herzfeld (National symbols under German occupation during World War II: White Russia, North Caucasus and Greece [hzf03]) shows the two pennants that had to be flown directly under the Greek national flag on Greek ships with a Greek crew during the Second World War.

Italian occupation zone pennant - Image by Željko Heimer, 7 November 2004

The ships registered in the Italian occupation zone were to hoist a square pennant diagonally divided into black and white.

German occupation zone pennant - Image by Željko Heimer, 7 November 2004

The ships registered in the German occupation zone used a similar pennant divided into red and white.

The Greek ships with an Italian crew were to use the italian ensign while those with a German crew used the German ensign of the period. Moreover, if the crew was Greek but with Italian or German captain, the flag of the occupying nation was hoisted.

Thes pennant were prescribed by an Order dated 10 April 1943 (Verordnungsblat für das besetzte griechische Gebiet, 1943, #1). The Order was amended on 3 February 1944, after the Italian capitulation, dropping the Italian pennant.

Željko Heimer, 7 November 2004

Principality of Pindus (?-1944)

During the Second World War an autonomous Principality of the Pindus was declared by an extremist named Alcibiades Diamandi of Samarina, consisting of Epirus, Macedonia and all of Thessalia, with Diamandi as the Prince and a compatriot as head of the "Roman Legion" - an army of Vlakh fascists.

The first Prince Alkiviadis I abdicated in 1943. The next ruler, a Hungarian adventurer named Julius Csesznegi, reigned until 1944 but there was really a chaotic situation. The actual pretender, Prince Nicholas, uses a green flag with a red St. Andrew cross.

Jarig Bakker & Joseph de Ferrari, 12 August 2003