lysi wrote:LIOPETRI is famous for a shoot out between EOKA & the BRITISH ARMY during the 1950s struggle for independence from britiain, does anyone know the names of the brave EOKA fighters who to part in the battle ?
The names of the dead EOKA fighters (with apologies for any spelling mistakes),
Christos Samaras
Starou/Stavrou Pittas
Andreas Karios
Elias Papakyriakos
Elias Samaras brother of the leader of the group was later executed on the orders of EOKA leader Colonel George Grivas for giving information to the British leading to the groups entrapment.
Elias Samaras was held at a British detention centre for a month after the Liopetri action and then flown to England. Seventeen days later he returned to Cyprus and surrendered himself to EOKA, unable it was said to bear the pain of his guilt. He confessed and pleaded for his life, saying that he gave way under torture.
Colonel Grivas sent this message to the EOKA area commander
"I see no mitigating circumstances in the treachery of Samaras, he will be executed. The execution will be a lesson to everyone, showing that no one may ask for pardon on the excuse that their treachery was due to torture. The greatness of the fighter lies in not giving way to the violence or physical suffering and in not being countered by enemy bullets. As the leader, because of family spiritual ability, because of the trade to sincere repentance and because he has paid for his crime with death. I shall say no more. Everyone must judge the man for himself".
(translated from the Campaign for the Union of Cyprus with Greece 1955/59, captured papers general orders and war diaries of Colonel George Grivas).
