Written on the Knee:
A Diary from the Greek-Italian Front of WWII
Dr. Theodore Electris, translated with commentary by Helen
Electrie Lindsay.
Reviewed by Betty Gelean
The Little-Known War; a part of WWII, a personal look
Many books have come to
light written by survivors of WWII within the past few years.
What better way to hear it than through the eyes, ears, and voice of
those who lived it? This is the case with Written on the
Knee. The book is a compilation of Dr. Electris’ well-kept
diaries, the letters to and from family members, especially the letters
from his wife of three months when he was suddenly mobilized.
This is as much a love story as a war story and often he touches on
the war and discomforts only lightly but every so often, through
exhaustion and fear both for his loved ones and for himself, we hear of
the desperate trials and tribulations, not only of the soldiers but of
the people who are caught between the devil and the natural topography
of the mountains where most of this portion of the war was fought. This
war was fought mostly in Albany, between the Italians, at that time in
league with the Germans, and the mobilized Greeks. The Greek army
suffered from lack of proper equipment, lack of food, lack of
transportation. They moved mostly by night through the treacherous
forests and mountains on foot, sometimes with some mules and/or
horses. Shortage of medical supplies and the inability to pack them
well from camp to camp was an ongoing problem; finding food almost
impossible. This was dirty warfare, almost forgotten in history books,
and yet was a major turning point in Hitler’'s plans of taking on
Russia by delaying the timeline until winter, one of the worst winters
in history.
The book concentrates a lot
on family, the worry on both sides and the infiltration of the Germans
into the village where the Electris family lived. His fear for his wife
is very noticeable in his diaries. The long trek home, mostly
alone in the dark through the mountains must be read, and the discovery
of Germans occupying his home terrifying, since he did not know where
his wife could be. These are the kinds of stories you can only
hear from those who lived the time.
His daughter, Helen, has done a great translation, but also has written
an excellent
Prologue, Epilogue, and Appendix all of which shed more light on this
battle; I learned a great deal. There are several photos in the book
courtesy of the Hellenic War Museum as well as photos taken by
Theordore Electris himself, and several maps showing various fronts and
approaches. A very good read, I would recommend this book to
anyone whose genre is historical, wars, non-fiction, realism, and even
love stories. This is a must read for any who have never heard of
the Greek-Italian portion of WWII.