Myer Addis

Gunner, Royal Artillery
16 Bty., 2 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regt.
Service number: 1536274
Died 26 Apr 1941
Commemorated on the Athens Memorial, Greece
Age 21


Myer was born on 11 September 1919 in Salford, Greater Manchester to Isaac, a waterproof garment maker, and Rose nee Hirshderfer and he had two brothers and two sisters. The family lived at 69 Choir Street in Salford. The 1939 Register states that Myer worked as a raincoat machinist.

Myer was serving in Greece when he was killed. Operation Demon was the British naval evacuation of Allied forces from mainland Greece at the end of the Axis conquest of the country. The evacuation started on the night of 24/25 April and continued for five nights. 

The climax of ‘Demon’ took place on the night of 26/27 April, when 27,000 men were awaiting evacuation. On 27/28 April the light cruiser Ajax and three destroyers won another 4,750 soldiers from Raftis and Nafplio, and on the following night a further 4,320 from Monemvasia. Escorted by three destroyers, Glengyle reached Rafina, and the transport Salween with two destroyers reached Raftis. The transports Slamat and Khedive and the landing ship Glenearn, escorted by Calcutta and three destroyers, reached Nafplio, and the transports Dilwara, City of London and Costa Rica, accompanied by Phoebe and four destroyers, arrived in Kalamata. The ships lifted 22,500 men (8,200 from Rafina and Raftis, 4,500 from Nafplio and 9,800 at Kalamata). Glenearn was hit by bombs and had to be towed to Crete by Griffin. This further reduced the available lift capability and meant that several thousand men had to be left on the beach as Glenearn, damaged still more by the attacks of several Ju 87 dive-bombers, was late in arriving and could send only some of its landing craft to the beach at Nafplio.

Loaded with troops, Slamat was bombed and machine gunned, and caught fire. Diamond and Wryneck managed to take most of the survivors on board, but were themselves later attacked and sunk: of the total of more than 1,000 persons on the three ships, only 50 were saved. Phoebe and the convoy she was escorting were attacked in Kalamata. Here the transport Costa Rica, with 2,400 troops on board, was hit by a bomb and unable to steam, but managed to transfer her load to Defender, Hero and Hereward before sinking. It is unknown which ship Myer was on when he was killed.

Myer is commemorated on his mother’s grave at Rainsough Jewish Cemetery.
Courtesy CWGC