British Forces in Wartime Greece

Today we feature two types of WWII patches worn on fobs by British troops in Greece. These are really very rare and we’re grateful to Michael Burroughs of Anything Military for sharing the photos with us.

Given the pivotal role played by Britain during the war, our role in Greece is far less than exemplary. Allied governments including ours had supported the partisans against Hitler but when it seemed likely this resistance force was likely to replace the Greek monarchy with a communist regime, Churchill changed tack. Still seen by some in the country as a betrayal, Britain sided with the nationalists and fought against the partisans as civil war loomed.

The patch fobs, similar in style to the ones worn by American GIs in Vietnam and known as ‘pocket hangers’, were there to show that the wearer was there in support of the legitimate government. It’s ironic that the soldier was probably unaware of their role in an unfolding Greek tragedy still remembered today – in Greece at least.