Leros commemorates 83rd anniversary of ‘Basilissa Olga’ sinking

Commemorative ceremonies were held on Leros to mark the 83rd anniversary of the sinking of the destroyer ‘Basilissa Olga’ during World War II. The events honored the officers and crew members who lost their lives.

The memorial program included a Divine Liturgy and an official doxology organized by the Hellenic Navy General Staff and the Naval Technical Installations Service of Leros. Attendees included Leros Mayor Timotheos Kottakis, Dodecanese MPs Giannis Pappas and Manos Konsolas, Deputy Regional Governor of the South Aegean Apostolos Asprakis, and representatives from the military leadership and the German town of Aschaffenburg.

Following a memorial service led by the Metropolitan of Leros, Paisios, at the Fallen Heroes Monument, a minute of silence was observed and honor salutes were fired. The ceremony concluded with participants boarding the naval vessel ‘Aittitos’ R-268 to travel to the Lakkis bay, the site of the sinking, where wreaths were cast into the sea.