Any question answered...

In Greece we had rather large red hornets (called Babura I think- spelling bound to be wrong), they had such a fearsome rep that people tended to leave them to it.

Babura would be a correct pronunciation, it's actually spelt mpampoura or μπάμπουρα. That however, would be a bumblebee.

The hornets you are referring to are indeed the ones Oliver mentioned:

Could be the Oriental Hornet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_hornet

We call them σφήκα or sfika (which is the same word for your common wasp).