Vasilios Gatzios
Interviewer(s):
Angelo Laskaris
Project:
Childhood Narratives of Greek Canadians from the 1940s
INTERVIEW LOCATION:
Toronto, ON
LANGUAGE:
Greek
DATE:
January 16, 2022

Interview Summary:

Vasilios Gatzios was born in Ligourio, Nafplio in 1931 and grew up in a farming family with three sisters. During the Second World War, he experienced the Occupation and the difficulties of the time, such as conscription, food shortages and the presence of Italian and German troops. Gatzios served his military service in the artillery, where he was trained as a sniper and remained as an instructor for 18 months. After the army, Vasilis engaged in trade, transporting and selling oil and other products to neighboring villages. In 1961 he married Eleni and they later emigrated to Canada.

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Interview Details
Categories and Themes
Content
Media
Date and Location
January 16, 2022
Toronto, ON
Interviewee(s)
Vasilios Gatzios
Interviewer(s)
Angelo Laskaris
Languages
Greek
Reference ID
40sREF009
Project
Childhood Narratives of Greek Canadians from the 1940s
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Categories
Working Life
Historical Events
Migration
Rites
Tags
Greek Civil War
Marriage
Military Service
Post-WW2 Migration
Sponsorship
WW2
Decades Referenced
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
Locations Referenced
Lygourio, Nafplio, Monodentri Sparti
Occupation(s)
Parents Occupation(s)
Farmers
Names Referenced

[00:00:39] Early life in Nafplio

[00:02:23] Outbreak of the Second World War

[00:14:20] Life during occupation and famine

[00:17:08] Nazis' arrival and occupation

[00:24:10] Massacre in Monodentri, Sparti

[00:26:07] School life and community life  

[00:33:53] Prospective career choice in policing

[00:42:14] Food scarcity during the Occupation

[00:43:19] Germans arrive in Lygourio

[00:50:41] Incident with a Italian soldier

[00:55:07] Communists and those collaborated with Italians

[00:57:37] Civil War years in Lygourio

[01:01:51] Marriage

[01:04:03] Incidents with Italian soldiers

[01:09:48] German retaliation in Gorgopotamos

[01:12:24] Civil War memories

[01:18:07] Memories in the Army during the 1950s

[01:27:59] Servising the Army Migration to Canada

[01:42:33] Relations with his parents

[01:44:50] Childhood Memories and cultural practices

[01:49:00] Life after Army in trading[

01:52:07] Migration to Canada and love story with wife

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