Stefanos Eleftheriou, Head of the Telecommmunications section of
the Ministry of Posts & Telegraphs (Greek initials T.T.T.) played a
vital role in the early development of amateur radio in Greece.
When he returned from Switzerland, where he had studied Electrical
Engineering, he had to do his compulsory military service which had
been deferred while he was completing his education. A friend of his
told him "Don't go into the Army, join the Navy; they have an amazing
wireless station at Votanikos with which they can contact the Fleet
anywhere in the world". As it happened there was a vacancy for an
officer and Stefanos together with another young man called Nikolis
faced a Selection Board of naval officers who really didn't know what
qualifications they were looking for. He was successful whereas
Nikolis went to the Ministry of Posts & Telegraphs where he ended up
as Director-General many years later.
The MARCONI COMPANY of England had built an impressive wireless
station for the Greek Royal Navy at Votanikos, a suburb of Athens.
There was a transmitter which operated on 600 metres and a larger one
on long waves above 2,000 metres which used the callsign SXA.
Stefanos told me how he was summoned by the Director of the Naval
Station Admiral Mezeviris who asked him "Tell me, young man, what do
you know about wireless?"
"Well sir," replied Eleftheriou, "I studied Electrical Engineering
in Switzerland--I really don't anything about wireless."
"Neither do I," replied the Admiral candidly. "Nor do most of my
officers. We must set up a school to train technicians and wireless
operators. I entrust you with the task of getting all the necessary
books and other materials. Write to England, the U.S.A., France and
Germany and get whatever you need. When you are ready I will appoint
staff to assist you." That was how Eleftheriou became the head of the
first school for training wireless officers for the Greek Royal Navy.
A couple of years later Eleftheriou joined the staff of the
Ministry of Post & Telegraphs. A newspaper of 1930 had a photograph
of him with one of his triplet sons.
In his capacity of Head of the Telecommunications Section at the
Ministry he worked hard to get official recognition of amateur radio.
A handful of us who were active 'under cover' so to speak, frequently
visited him in his office. He was a very likeable person and had a
talent for anecdotes. One day he told us that he had attended a Joint
Services Committee which had been set up to study the requirements for
building a broadcasting station in Athens. A station had been in
regular operation in the northern city of Thessaloniki (Salonica)
since 1928, built by the pioneer of Broadcasting in the Balkans
Christos Tsingeridis.
When the question of wavelength for the proposed station was
considered somebody said a wavelength of 2,000 metres might be
appropriate. One of the military officers, who shall be nameless,
remarked angrily "What! 2,000 metres. We are spending all this
money only to be received up to Koukouvaounes? This is outrageous!"
(Koukouvaounes was then a small village with a funny name about 3
miles south-west of Athens.
Eleftheriou lived to the ripe old age of 84. When I last saw him
he promised to give me his collection of old photographs and a large
number of books and documents relating to the development of radio
communications in Greece. Unfortunately, shortly after his death his
wife and three sons moved house temporarily and a packing case
containing all these priceless papers was lost in