The 5/42 Evzone Regiment "Delvinaki" is an active infantry unit of the Hellenic Army. It was established in 1913 as an elite regiment of Evzones, recruited in Central Greece and headquartered in Lamia. As such the unit served in the Macedonian front of World War I, the Allied intervention in the Ukraine, the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, and the Greco-Italian War during World War II. Reformed as the 53rd Brigade in 1948, it participated in the Greek Civil War, before receiving the designation 5/42 Infantry Regiment in 1951. The regiment was disbanded in 1954, but revived as a reserve formation in 1979, under its original name. In November 2000 it received the honorific title "Delvinaki". Since January 2003 it is a battalion-sized formation that forms the garrison of the Dodecanese island of Kalymnos.
Men of the 5/42 Evzone Regiment in Odessa c. 1919
Men of the regiment with Captain Christodoulou, Odessa, 1919
Plastiras with mounted Evzones during the Asia Minor Campaign
Soldiers of the 5/42 Regiment in Asia Minor, 1921
The Evzones or Evzonoi were several historical elite light infantry and mountain units of the Greek Army. Today, they are the members of the Presidential Guard, a ceremonial unit that guards the Greek Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Presidential Mansion in Athens. An Evzone is also known, colloquially, as a Tsoliás. Evzones are known for their distinctive uniform, which evolved from the clothes worn by the klephts who fought the Ottoman occupation of Greece. The most visible item of this uniform is the fustanella, a kilt-like garment. Their distinctive dress turned them into a popular image for the Greek soldier, especially among foreigners.
Greek Army Evzones c. 1900
Men of the light infantry battalions established by Ioannis Kapodistrias
Rumeliote light infantry in 1838
Men of the Mountain Guard battalions with a captive