Efstathios Xenophontos finished primary school in Finii and learned the art of shoemaker. Initially he worked in Platres as a shoemaker. Later he went to Limassol and found a job at the English bases of the airport in Akrotiri. He was very brave. He liked swimming and football. He joined the EOKA at the beginning of the struggle and in March 1957 Efstathios requested and was given approval by Digenis to blow up planes of the royal air force, which had come to the Akrotiri base where he worked.

Andreas Alexandrou’s competitor tells about it:

“We were given a time bomb, which consisted of a water pipe. We painted it black, just like the frame of the motorcycle we fitted it to for transport, so it looked like an accessory. In three places, where we were investigated by the English, until the airport entrance they had not discovered her. I couldn’t continue to the planes because I didn’t have a special permit. Efstathios showed his own license that he had as an employee there and passed the check. According to our timing the bomb should have gone off at 2pm. But the spring for adjusting the time of the explosion had been affected, either by the movement of the motorcycle or by its temperature, and the bomb exploded an hour earlier, at the time when Efstathios had approached the airplanes. He blew up with her. The explosion that occurred was very powerful. The smoke and dust arrived in the middle of the night. From his body we had collected only the right thigh and part of the skull”.

His death is proof of the bravery of the fighters who, while they themselves were inexperienced in warfare and had few means at their disposal, faced with courage and at the risk of their lives an experienced and well-armed army.