Charilaos Michail

Born in the village of Galini¹, Nicosia district, on February 9, 1935.

Hanged in Nicosia Central Prison², on August 9, 1956.

He finished Galini primary school and worked at the Cyprus Mining Company. He joined the EOKA struggle and served with his siblings and his father. They had connections with the guerrilla group of Markos Drakos.

He was an inseparable friend and close associate of Andreas Zakos, with whom he fled to the guerrilla on November 17, 1955, manning a guerrilla group in the Galini area, after they had in the meantime built hideouts and lairs in this mountainous area.

A month later, on December 15, 1955, their group joined Markos Drakos' group for the ambush at Mersinaki, at the 38th mile of the Nicosia-Kato Pyrgos road, near ancient Soloi. In the attack, the heroes of EOKA Charilaos Michail, Andreas Zakos, Charalambos Mouskos and Markos Drakos, along with four other comrades, found themselves confronted by the experienced Major Coombe of the British army and Corporal Morum, who was killed. Charalambos Mouskos was also killed. Andreas Zakos was arrested, seriously wounded. Charilaos Michail was arrested with him, who did not want to abandon his wounded friend.

Both were sentenced to death and executed together with Iakovos Patatsos on Thursday, August 9, 1956.

On the evening of Wednesday, August 8, just a few hours before his execution, he welcomed his mother and father to the Nicosia Central Prison with the song “Awake, my poor Raya” and bid them farewell with these words:

The mental fortitude with which he faced death is evident in both of his letters he wrote shortly before his execution on August 7 and 8, 1956.