The first Greek woman Parachutist.
Sonia-Sophia Stefanidou was born in Odessa, Ukraine in 1907, at the age of five went to Athens, and her father joined as a volunteer doctor in the Greek Army during the Balkan wars. Following the example of her father a few months before the declaration of the Greek-Italian war, Sonia written voluntarily to School Nurses Passive Air Defence.
Immediately upon the declaration of war, he sought permission ranking military service.In late November 1940, he was presented for the training of nurses in the hospital "Red Cross" of Athens.
On January 15, 1941, with obvious impatience, he sent a letter to the Minister of War, in which he called for postponing the forefront! Finally, on April 7 (the day after the German attack on Greece) presented for entry into service in the 1st Military Hospital of Ioannina. Thirteen days later, the 2nd Military Hospital of the city was bombed mercilessly by the Italian Air Force.Sonia ran one of the first to help the many injured. She returned to Athens and after an Odyssey 2 ½ months, during which they showed admirable courage and strength, managed to reach in the Middle East.
There, he urged be classified under the Royal Greek Army Middle East, which was formed from the remains of Greek units had fled to Egypt. On June 1, 1942, he was called for duty in the 1st Military Hospital Alexandria. However, the service nurse was not enough of.
On April 8, 1943,
he asked the Prime Minister Emmanuel Tsouderos be classified in a commando unit (commando). Surprisingly for the Greek manners, her request was accepted and that fearless woman was found to be trained by the British in the collection, reporting and information security, encryption, use of radio and parachuting! After acquiring her degree from RAF School of Paratroopers the performance characterized by the senior instructor as "high level".
On July 2, 1943, the Stefanidou parachuted as State agents group, near Florina, whose mission is to collect information for the enemy. Disguised when a beggar and when in space, travelled in residential areas and gathering information that a man as spy would be difficult to find. She could speak French,English,German language. On September 2, 1943, the action of a spy seemed to end abruptly, as the entire team was arrested by the Germans. Even fter hard interrogation she did spoke.Quite unexpectedly, however, a German guard helped them to escape! Sonia resorted to Kalambaka where rebel headquarters operated with British links. In December 1943, the Stefanidou returned to Egypt and joined the newly formed Voluntary Army Corps of Greek Women, grade equivalent to second lieutenant. According to unconfirmed information, the Greek agent went on mission in Crete (January-October 1944). Secrecy and the fact that the files of the British Secret Services remain stubbornly closed, do not allow a full examination of the missions. After the departure of Germans from Greece, the Stefanidou returned along with the exiled Greek government.
In May 1945, the war in Europe ended with the total defeat of Hitler's Germany.From the once omnipotent Axis, only Japan continued to struggle. Sonia Stefanidou
submit a request to join the US Army as a Parachutist to participate in theater of the Pacific! Her application was rejected, the war for that Greek commando had ended...
The years of peace, the Stefanidou was an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate of Protocol. He remained humble and silent and did not seek ever to cash rich military action. He was awarded numerous medals, among them the Golden Bravery Medal, the highest honorary distinction awarded in wartime!
McClelland Drama Reserve in a Stanwell brushed, i will raise my bowl for her memory.