5/42 Evzon Regiment Battle Standard Decorated

The ceremony took place at the current headquarters of the Regiment, on the island of Kalymnos, in the presence of the Deputy Minister of National Defence Ioannis Lambropoulos, who previously, accompanied by the Commander of the Military High Command of the Interior and the Islands (ASDEN) Lieutenant Ioannis Iliopoulos, had visited the Greek outposts on Farmakonisi and Kalolimnos. There the Deputy Minister offered gifts and exchanged greetings with the staff on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.

There followed the ceremony at the headquarters of 5/42 Evzon Regiment "Delvinaki", on Kalymnos, where the Chief of Staff awarded again the lost Archangel Medal of Honor to the Battle Standard of the Regiment, in the presence of military, religious and political authorities of the island .

The medal was "lost", since when the Standard went into storage it was destroyed. When a few years ago it was decided to give the Battle Standards to the units they belong to, it was found that the Medal was missing. Now this absence has been restored .

The 5/42 Evzon Regiment was established after the victorious Balkan Wars of 1912-13 and the subsequent reorganization of the Greek Army, made necessary due to the increase in the area and population of Greece.

In late 1913-early 1914, the first 42 infantry regiments were set up, of which the last five were named 'Evzon Regiments' taking on special numberings, eg 1/38, 2/39, 3/40, 4, 41 and 5/42 5/42 Evzon Regiments. At the time two Cretan Regimentswere established Crete, but had no specific numbering.

Ever since the 5/42 Evzon Regiment participated in all the campaigns of the Greek Army including Southern Russia, the Asia Minor campaign and was particularly distinguished under the command of the 'Black Rider' Colonel Nikolaos Plastiras, through the Greco-Italian War and the National Resistance (5/42 Evzon Regiment established by Colonel Psarros, dissolved by ELAS and its commander murdered).

Today it is a Mechanised Infantry unit, bearing the historical name and is based on Kalymnos belonging to the forces of ASDEN.