Figure 1.--The photograph was snaped in Athens in 1943, fter the worst of the famine was oiver,m but a year before liberation. It shows a group of 'saltadoroi' boys. The dirfect translation is jumper, but ir meant the boys that resisted the NAZI occupiers by pilfering food, fuel, and supplies. These boys were also known as the barefoot batallion. This could have meant being shot if caught, but even the Germans would not have shot the younger boys.

The Saltadoroi were Greek boys, rarely the girls, who resiusted the Germans in theor own way. They engaged in various activiities such as stealing their food, fuel, eqyioment, etc. Their motivation was not just resistung the Germans. Greece was a poor country toi befin with. The sail is not for the most part highly fertile, but rather rocky. And the ciuntry was not self succuent in food. The Germans made the situation worse by their standard practice of seizing d=food and shipping it back to the Reich. The result was a terrible famine. So the boys were strongly motivated to pilfer from the Germans for thenselves and their families. As dangerous as it was, hunger and misery are strong motivaring factors. These boys were also known as the barefoot batallion. There is no verifiable data on this, neither the boys or the German were taking notes.

Created: March 20, 2003
Last updated: 2:23 AM 12/13/2013



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