admiralbiography

In 1906, he was admitted to the Hellenic School of Naval Cadets
and began a long and illustrious naval career. On May 28, 1912 he
married Marguerite Agelastos. Their daughter Alice was born on
March 19, 1913 and married Alexander Pericles Couclelis, an
economist from Alexandria, Egypt on December 27, 1942. Gregory
Mezeviris died in Athens on October 23, 1978.

Development of his naval career

Ensign on July 17, 1910
Junior Lieutenant on June 2, 1913
Lieutenant on February 7, 1915
Lieutenant Commander on March 16, 1920
Commander on June 20, 1924
Captain on February14, 1934
Rear Admiral on May 6, 1943
Vice Admiral on June 1, 1947
He retired on September 1, 1949, after 43 years of
distinguished service in the Royal Hellenic Navy.

Ships and Shore Commands
Gregory Mezeviris served in the Navy during an eventful era:

From July 1910 and during First Balkan War on the
battleship "PSARA",
From January 28, 1913 as executive officer on the
torpedoes boat "NIKOPOLIS",
From June 1913 in charge of a Naval Detachment on
Macedonia during the Hellenic- Bulgarian War,
From November 1913 as executive officer and then as
commanding officer of the first Greek submarine "DOLPHIN"
From May 1915 he served as officer of artillery on the
battleship "LEMNOS" and then as officer of electricity on
the battleship "AVEROF", also acting as Chief of Staff of the
Chief of the Battleships Command,
In 1917 he served at the Hellenic Navy General Staff,
From 1918 and during World War I he served as executive
officer on the destroyers "LONGHI" and "KERAVNOS",
From July 1919 as Vice Governor and then Governor of the
Torpedo School,
From September 1920 he served with the Direction of the
Radio-Telegraphy Service of the Navy (D.R.Y.N) from where
he was send to study at the Advanced School of Electricity
in Paris, France. He returned to Greece with the diploma of
radio electric engineer,
From June 1921 he was assigned to reorganize the
technical section of D.R.Y.N and to launch and teach in
technical schools for telegraphers and specialisation
schools for combat lieutenants. In parallel to these duties
he was Professor of Electricity at the Schools of Naval
Cadets and the Military Academy.
In June 1924 he was appointed Director of D.R.Y.N
From August 1925 he served as Naval Attaché at the
Hellenic Embassy in Paris,
From January 1930 he was again named Director of D.R.Y.N.
From May 1931 Commander of the destroyers "LEON" and
"HYDRA" and in parallel Chief of the Destroyer Flotilla,
From February 1934 Director of the Naval School of War and
then Director of Technical Services of the Ministry of the
Navy,

From April 1935 Commander of the Destroyer Flotilla,
From January 1936 Director of the 3rd Direction of the
Hellenic Navy General Staff and then, once more,
Commander of the Destroyer Flotilla,
From December 1937 reappointed Director of the Naval
School of War,
From July 1938 Supe rior Commander of Coastal Defence,
From November 1939 - and for the duration of the World
War II in Greece- Superior Commander of the 10 destroyers,
on board the "KING GEORGE". After the serious damage
inflicted by the German air force to the "KING GEORGE" on
April 13, 1941, he raised his banner on the destroyer
"AETOS" and later on the destroyer "HYDRA".
On April 22, 1941, while the "HYDRA" was sailing on the
Saronic Gulf, she was attacked by the German Luftwaffe
and sunk. Mezeviris was wounded and admitted to
"EVANGELISMOS" hospital. He was still in the hospital
when the Germans marched on Athens.
In February 1943 h e escaped, via Turkey, to the Middle East
where he was promoted to Rear Admiral.
From August 1943 to February 1944 he negotiated in
London with the British Admiralty the concession of
additional ships to the Hellenic Navy. As a result of his
efforts, 5 destroyers and 3 corvettes where added to the
Hellenic Navy.
In April 1944, he helped Admiral Voulgaris put down the
revolt of the Greek crews in Alexandria, Egypt and then re-
established order on the Greek ships based at Malta.
From September 1944 he was appointed Deputy Chief of the
Hellenic Admiralty in the Middle East and Deputy Chief of
the Hellenic Navy General Staff.
From April 1945 he was promoted to Admiral Chief and Chief
of the Hellenic Navy General Staff. He exercised these
duties till the end of September 1947.
From June 1949 he was appointed Inspector General of the
Royal Hellenic Navy and promoted to the rank of Vice
Admiral.
He retired in September 1949.

After his retirement

He dealt with scientific issues and his other specialisation
of radio electrical engineer. For the next 8 years he
consulted on technical issues for the National Radio
Foundation. He completed a series of studies for the
technical development of the Greek Radio and Television
Foundation.
He wrote 5 books on naval strategy, the new weapons and
the naval operations of World War II. He was a regular
correspondent for the newspaper "HESTIA" on naval,
aviation and general strategy topics.
He was visiting Professor of Naval Strategy at the School of
National Defense and at the Naval School of War.

ADMIRAL
MEZEVIRIS
R.H.N.

Biography

1943, Liverpool taking delivery
of Corvette "KRIEZIS"

1915, Captain of S/M "DOLPHIN"
www.mezeviris.gr

Gregory Mezeviris was born in Piraeus on January 4, 1891. His father was
Stefanos Mezeviris, a lawyer from Stenimahos in Eastern Romylia, and his
mother was Klearisti Primidi.

www.mezeviris.gr

1919 Odessa, Executive officer
of the destroyer "KERAVNOS" .

1955, Vice Admiral (re) Gregory Mezeviris