Aris Veluchiotis (nom de guerre for Thanassis Klaras) , military leader of the ELAS (Communist) resistance of wartime Greece.  A capable, and savage guerilla leader he certainly was.  Those not Communistically inclined might suggest that he bore more than average responsibility for the internecine hatred that bedevilled the Greek resistance scene, and prefigured the civil war that effectively broke out in the country even before the Germans finally left.  The bould Avis was killed, probably in battle against the British-sponsored nationalist forces (suicide is also a possibility) in the course of a confused anti-Communist "clearance" operation in June, 1945.  Best regards, JR.

Elsewhere in the Greek undergrowth ...

Wartime 'photo of Napoleon Zervas, leader of the military wing of the EDES Greek nationalist movement (second from left) with officers.  Greek resistance, while generally savage, was also, in general, of limited effectiveness.  This was in large part because - in spite of the best efforts of the British to mediate - the various resistance groups hated each other more than they hated the Germans (a bit like the Judean Peoples' Front and the Peoples' Front of Judea vis-a-vis the Romans).  The tension between the Communist resistance and the nationalist groups was particularly intense, and they had already begun shooting each other before the Germans left.  

Following a savage "post-war" civil war, the nationalists won out (at the expense in part of accepting the restoration of the Monarchy as desired by their British sponsors).  General Zevras went on to enjoy a political career, dying of natural causes in 1957.  Best regards, JR.

Greeks in the undergrowth.

The Gorgopotamos railway bridge in ruins, following its destruction in an infernally complicated joint operation between Greek Communist and Greek nationalist partisans and British SOE operatives (who did the actual blasting), 25 November, 1942.  The destruction of the bridge cut one of the principal communication routes between northern and southern Greece.  It was a considerable achievement; but might have been more so had it not been delayed by the protracted refusal of Communist and nationalist partisan organisations to co-operate, so that it only occurred after Second El Alamein (23 October - 4 November, 1942).  Rommel's defeat greatly reduced the importance of the Greek supply route.

One might wonder why the British felt it necessary to delay the operation until they had secured the joint participation of the mutually antagonistic Greek participants.  In answer, I can only suggest a viewing of the "raid on Pilate's palace" scene from the movie, "Monty Python's Life of Brian".  Best regards, JR.