DEMETRE P. CANGHELARIS
(1922-1996)

Photo (1943) of Demetre P. Canghelaris (1922-1996)
In the Royal Hellenic Air Force flyer's uniform

Demetre P. Canghelaris (Mimis) was born in Suez, Egypt.  His parents were Panagis D. Canghelaris (1873-1936) and Alcinoe L. Dracopoulo (1895-1977).  He later settled in Alexandria where he graduated from the Salvageios Commercial School (1939).  Initially he was employed by the firms "West & Co. Foundry" (1939-1941), "Mohammed Moustapha Hammad & Fils Shipping Agents" (1941), "The Celerity Clearing Co." (1941-1942) and "N.Papalios & S.Petrovich [former Savides & Co.] Ship Owners & Shipping Agents" (1945-1951).  In 1942 he volunteered to the Royal Hellenic Air Force, at that time regrouped in the Middle East, where he served at the 13th Light Bomber Squadron, briefly as an Interpreter and then as an Air Gunner.  In this latter capacity he took part in military and propaganda missions of the Squadron in Northern Africa, Southern Italy and the Aegean Islands, mainly flying Martin Baltimore aeroplanes.   With his Squadron he arrived in the recently liberated Athens (1944) and retired from the service with the rank of a Chief Master Sergeant in 1946.  For his military action he was awarded the Bronze Cross of St. Mark of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Distinguished Acts Medal, the R.H.A.F. Distinguished Services Medal, the 1941-1945 War commemorative Medal and the 1941-1945 National Resistance Medal.

 

Respite photo (1944) on top of the aircraft's wing
Demetre P. Canghelaris (1922-1996) in the midst of his fellow airmen 

 

Photo from the inspection of the 13th Light Bomber Squadron
in the already liberated Athens (Hassani later Hellinikon airport)
Fourth from left of the four-man crew of the first Martin Baltimore aeroplane (P)
is Demetre P. Canghelaris (1922-1996)

 

War Medals awarded to Demetre P. Canghelaris (1922-1996) for his military action

 

In 1950 he was married in Alexandria to Angélique J. Kyriacou.  A year later he founded there "The Neptune Agency - D.P.Canghelaris", an international forwarding agency which he expanded in 1952 in the field of customs clearing.  During the massive exodus from Egypt of Jews, Europeans and Greeks that followed, his contribution to the safe transportation of their household effects and fortunes was considerable and much appreciated.  After his permanent installation in Athens, Greece he continued his activity in the field of international transportation, shipping and tourism founding there "Atlas Transport & Shipping - D.P.Canghelaris" and "Globe Tours - Travel and Tourist Agency - D.P.Canghelaris" (1961).  It was he who forwarded to Paris the household effects of the then resigned and self-exiled (1963) Prime Minister Constantine G. Karamanlis (1907-1998) after his disagreement with King Paul I of the Hellenes (1901-1964).  He was also an inspiration behind the creation of a ferry line link between the Greek port of Volos and that of Tartous in Syria, a project of national importance, and he was the first to undertake and inaugurate it with the R/O-R/O ferry boat "Falster" (1977).  That same year he created the customs clearing partnership "D.P.Canghelaris & Co." and in 1980, with the merging of his two personal business enterprises, he founded the company "TRANSPORTATLAS S.A. - International Forwarders & Tourist Agents" of whom he has been the President of the Administrative Board and the Managing Director for several years.  During the mid '70s he expanded abroad by founding "Transneptune S.A." (Panama) and "Interatlas S.A." (Switzerland), companies working in the field of international transport and shipping.  In recognition of his activity in the field, the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Greece awarded him with a special prize (1988).  He passed away in Athens.

Angélique J. Kyriacou (Kiki) was born in Alexandria.  Her parents were John N. Kyriacou (1888-1971) and Persephone C. Papanicolaou (1898-1941).  In 1940, during her stay in Athens for a family holiday she was prevented from returning because of the war and as a result she had to spend the whole period of the foreign occupation there loosing her mother prematurely at the same time.  She studied at the Charokopeios Home Economics Higher School (1942-1945) and as soon as her exit from the country was allowed she returned to Alexandria.  There she worked as a teacher at the Ieridis Lyceum (1945-1951).  After her marriage, birth of their two children Panayotis D. Cangelaris (1951) and Persa (Cangelaris-Bergerat) (1952) and later settlement of her new family in Athens (1962), she was actively involved in her husband's business in which, when the company was created, she undertook the positions of Vice-President and President of the Administrative Board.  In addition, she has been as well the soul behind the formation of collections of European and Asiatic objets d'art and of the paintings of Dimitris Litsas (1881-1952), a Greek from Egypt.  She passed away in Montreux, Switzerland.

 

Advertising leaflet (1960) of the International Transports firm "The Neprune Agency - D.P.Canghelaris"   Advertising entry (1980) of the firm "TRANSPORTATLAS S.A. International Forwarders & Tourist Agents"

 

	The special commemorative postal cancel (Volos 22.9.1977) of the Volos - Tartous ferry boat Line designed by Panayotis D. Cangelaris (1951)

 

	Advertising entry (1977) of the "Greece Syria Express Line R/O-R/O Ferry Boat FALSTER" Introduced by "Atlas Transport & Shipping - D.P.Canghelaris"

Advertising-informative 50 page booklet (1962) of the General Tourism firm "Globe Tours - Travel and Tourist Agency - D.P.Canghelaris"

 

Related pages:

Order Book History and Genealogy of the Cangelari Family

"Publications and Studies" (in Greek language)

 

 

Ελληνικά

 

 

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