The Battle of Leros: original version
Narration: Kostas Vellis · Radio Leros. YouTube upload: Seryianis.
Autumn 1943 · Island history · Remembrance
The Battle of Leros
The harbours and hills of Leros hold memories of a difficult chapter in the island’s past. This page introduces the events of 1943 and the places, films and records through which we remember them.
Remembering the island’s wartime story
My original page pointed visitors towards the Battle of Leros films and promised more archive material. This refreshed guide gives the history its own place, with a short timeline and links for further reading.
September–November 1943
Leros in the autumn of 1943
The fighting formed part of the Dodecanese campaign. Leros’s harbour and military installations made it strategically important, while the struggle for control brought war into the lives of the island’s residents.
8 September 1943
The Italian armistice is announced. British forces move into the Dodecanese and cooperate with Italian forces resisting German control.
26 September 1943
German air attacks on Lakki sink the Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga and fatally damage the British destroyer HMS Intrepid.
September–November 1943
Air raids and pressure on sea communications place the island’s defenders and residents under increasing strain.
12 November 1943
German troops land by sea and parachute onto Leros. The decisive ground battle begins.
16 November 1943
After several days of fighting, the British and Italian defenders surrender. German occupation follows.
Land, sea, air & civilian life
An island caught in a wider campaign
Leros had been developed as an Italian naval base. After the armistice, British troops joined Italian defenders in an effort to hold the island. Greek naval forces were also involved in the wider operations.
The RAF’s historical narrative emphasises the importance of German air superiority over the islands. Allied aircraft operated from distant bases, while commitments elsewhere in the Mediterranean limited the support available in the Aegean.
Reading the campaign only as a sequence of military decisions leaves out much of its meaning. The island’s residents lived through bombardment, disruption and loss, alongside the men serving on land and at sea.
Read the RAF Air Historical Branch campaign narrative · PDF ↗
Watch, listen & remember
The films from my original collection
Keep exploring through the two Battle of Leros films already included in my video collection. The original version has narration by Kostas Vellis; the second has English subtitles translated by me.
The Battle of Leros: English subtitles
Narration: Kostas Vellis. Subtitle translation: Yiannis. YouTube upload: Seryianis.
If an embedded film does not play, try its YouTube link. See the full video collection for the original wreck footage and other island memories.
Museums · Memorials · Quiet reflection
Encountering the history on Leros
The Tunnel War Museum
At Merikia, near Lakki, the wartime tunnels and museum offer a setting in which to explore the island’s military history. Start with my museum guide and the municipal museum information.
Belenis Tower
The historical and folklore museum in Alinda includes material connected with the Battle of Leros and Vasilissa Olga. Discover Belenis Tower and its collections.
Leros War Cemetery
Near Agia Marina Bay, the cemetery is a place to remember Commonwealth servicemen who died in the fighting. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission provides burial records and visitor information.
Lakki and Vasilissa Olga
The harbour and its memorial form part of the island’s remembrance of the destroyer and its crew. The Hellenic Navy’s account of the 2026 anniversary · Greek records the ceremony held on 26 September.
Records, films & family memories
- RAF Air Historical Branch: the Dodecanese campaign · PDF
- Leros.org: an English summary of the battle
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Leros War Cemetery
If you have a family memory, a photograph or a correction to share, reach out through the Leros Greece Facebook group. Please include the source or family context when you can.
A personal favourite
A favourite table on Leros
After exploring the island’s stories, make time for one of my favourite parts of Leros: its food. My favourite taverna is Karaflas Dimitris & Son.
From Dimitris Ouzeri to Karaflas Taverna, and now Karaflas Dimitris & Son, it is the same family story continuing into another generation.
Read the family story or discover more flavours of Leros.
Share your Leros discoveries
Have a memory, a photograph or something to add to this guide? You can reach out to me through the Leros Greece Facebook group and share it with our island community.