SPYRIDON C. THEODOROPOULOS
(1891-1983)

Son of Constantine Theodoropoulos and Photini Michalizzi, Spyridon was born in Coron (Peloponnese).  He volunteered for the Hellenic Army (1910), where he initially served as a non-commissioned officer and from 1916 as a career officer.  He participated in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) as a Corporal of the 9th Infantry Regiment of the IV Division (later XIV Division) of Army Corps B', promoted on the battlefield to Sergeant and Sergeant-Major and after the war to Chief Warrant Officer.  As a Lieutenant of the 12th Infantry Regiment of the III Division of Army Corps B' he fought gallantly at the operations of the Macedonian Front during World War I (1918) and was promoted for bravery to Captain.  He also took part at the Asia Minor Campaign (1919-1922).  Just before World War II he was recalled into service (1936) and with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel he was appointed Director of the country's Civil Air Defence and promoted to Colonel.  As a result of his work is the respective legislation as well as the construction of shelters and fortifications (including those on Lykabettus Hill in Athens), for which he was personally commended by Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas.

In the framework of the great Inter-Allied advance and pursuit of the Bulgarian forces northwards (which finally compelled them to surrender) he reached the cities of Skopje, Pristina, Chervena Reka, Pirot and on his way back he stoped at their defeated capital, Sofia.  He fought gallantly during the crossing of the Cerna or Crna (Mavropotamos or Erigon) river and the subsequent assault and capture of the enemy position at the gorge of the same name (September 1918).  Likewise, during the Greek advance for the capture of Dorileon (Dorylaeum or Eski Sehir) and Akroinos (Aqrun or Afion Karahisar), then occupied by the revolutionary forces of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, he distinguished himself and was seriously wounded at the most murderous Battle of Avgin (better known as the Second Battle of Inönü).  Facing fierce enemy resistance he captured their trenches, forced them to retreat and repulsed their twenty two successive counter-attacks (March 1921).

Photo (1922) of Spyridon C. Theodoropoulos (1891-1983)
and his wife Anne D. Ioannopoulou (1900-1985)
[Photini Theodoropoulou Collection]

For his military career he was decorated with the Silver Cross of the Royal Order of the Redeemer and the Gold Cross of the Royal Order of George I.  For his war action he was decorated with the gallantry awards of the Gold Cross of Valour, the War Cross 2rd Class (twice) and the Medal of Military Merit 4th and 3rd Class, as well as with the commemorative campaign Medals for the Balkan Wars 1912-1913 (that of the Greco-Turkish War with the Elasson, Sarantaporo, Gianitsa, Ostrovo, Aetorrachi and Ioannina battle clasps and that of the Greco-Bulgarian War with the Kilkis-Lachana, Beles and Kresna-Djumaja battle clasps),  the 1918 Inter-Allied Victory and the 1940-1941 War.  He was also Mentioned in Dispatches five times, in 1913 (twice), 1918 and 1921 (twice) and was awarded two Campaign Squares (1919).  To his honour, the Class 2023 of the Non-Commissioned Officers Army Academy (SMY) was given his name as its Hero.

In 1923 he married Anne D. Ioannopoulou (1900-1985), who worked enthusiastically in charitable activities and gave birth to Photini (1925-2018), mother of Diana Macris-Cangelaris (1959), and Dimitri (Mimis) Theodoropoulos (1928).  After recovering from his wounds, he taught as Professor at the Military School of Logistics & Management, served at the General Store of Army Material in Piraeus, joined the 1st Infantry Regiment of the II Division of Army Corps A' and took part at the procedure of exchange of prisoners of war and refugees with Turkey (1923). As war invalid he was put to honorary retirement and combat availability, while following his recall into service he taught as Professor at the Hellenic Military Academy as well.  Αt the Interwar period he designed and privately constructed a number of houses and buildings at the Kolonaki, Plaka and Herakleion quarters of Athens.  During the foreign occupation (1941-1944) and until 1965 he undertook the management of the farm and winery "Tour la Reine Estate" as well as of the property department of the John Serpieri enterprises.  After the end of the Greek Civil War, he acquired and modernized the "Peter's" Soap and Cosmetics Manufactory (1950) that operated for more than twenty years.  Both he and his wife passed away in Athens.

Photo (1940) of Spyridon C. Theodoropoulos (1891-1983)
In the Hellenic Army uniform of a Colonel
[Photini Theodoropoulou Collection]

Related pages:

SMY Class 2023 Hero Adoption of Infantry Colonel Theodoropoulos Spyridon

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