Dimitrios Kamberos

Who was Dimitrios Kamberos?

Dimitrios Kamberos was the first military aviator in Greek history. His name was spelled variously in contemporary foreign sources, including Camberos and Cambères.

Kamberos was originally an artillery officer, and one of the first six Greek officers selected to receive training in France. The others were:

Second Lt. Panoutsos Notaras

First Lt. Michael Moutoussis of the military corps of engineers

Second Lt. Christos Adamidis

First Lt. Loukas Papaloukas

First Lt. Markos Drakos

They were joined by Emmanuel Argyropoulos, a private pilot, the first in Greece. The Army Aviation started with six planes, including four purchased from the Farman Aviation Works and assembled by French mechanics:

One Henri Farman 20 biplane

One Henri Farman biplane converted to a hydroplane, officially named Daedalus, piloted by Kamberos

One Maurice Farman Hydravion

One other Maurice Farman biplane

One Astra hydroplane, named Nautilos, piloted by Moutousis

One Nieuport IV G monoplane, named Halcyon, privately owned and piloted by Argyropoulos

Three of the Farman planes were christened Aetos, Gyps, and Ierax. The planes were paid for by money donated by a poet named Matsoukis.