Municipality of Lake Plastira to highlight WWII guerrilla airfield

The Municipality of Lake Plastira aims to historically highlight the guerrilla airfield of Neuropli, a site used during World War II to facilitate communication with the Allied Middle East headquarters. Constructed in the summer of 1943 on the Neuropli plateau, the airfield featured effective camouflage that prevented German forces from locating it despite multiple reconnaissance missions.

The airfield was built at an altitude of 800 meters and was inspired by Brigadier Eddie Meyers, head of the British mission at the time. Mayor Panagiotis Nanos described the site as a brilliant but relatively unknown chapter of the National Resistance, noting that much of its history was obscured when the area was covered by the waters of the artificial Lake Plastira.

While the airfield supported the resistance struggle between 1943 and 1944, the local population suffered significant retaliation. During operations to destroy the site, Italian and German forces burned local villages and executed residents, leading to five communities being designated as martyr communities.