Demos Erodotou
Timeline Events
He was born in the village of Foini1, in the province of Limassol, in November 1923.
He was killed on January 21, 1957 by British soldiers, on the Kato Platres-Foini road.
Demos Erodotou studied at the primary school of Dora2. He lived in Foini and worked in Platres as an electrician at the “Park Hotel” hotel3, which had been commandeered by the British and was used for the accommodation of soldiers.
He joined the Organization in October 1955 and was one of the most militant members of EOKA. He was active and tireless and very soon became the right hand of the rebels of his area, whom he also hosted in his house. He was in charge of the local team of EOKA Foini-Platres. He maintained caches in which he kept Organization weaponry. He took part in many attacks against the enemy and was a link and supplier of the rebels in the Platres area. The information he gathered from the army at the hotel where he worked was also valuable. Many times the English searched his house, without finding anything incriminating.
In November 1956, he took part in an attack against the “Park Hotel”. He had also twice taken part in an operation to blow up Governor Harding’s helicopter, during his visits to Platres.
On January 21, 1957, after some betrayals, a militant police officer notified Demos and he hurriedly left for Omodos4, to inform the rebel groups hiding there to protect themselves. His departure from the hotel was marked by the English, who, accompanied by the traitors, stopped him at the bridge near the village of Mandria, forced him to turn back, chased him and killed him on the Kato Platres-Foini road.
Eyewitnesses reported that when Erodotou fell dead, the soldier who shot him approached him and, upon seeing him dead, slammed his automatic weapon on a rock in exasperation. He wanted him alive hoping to extract information.
