Dimitrios Christodoulou

He was born in the village of Deryneia¹, Famagusta district, on August 5, 1936.

He was killed on February 17, 1957 in a clash with British soldiers, in a location² between Potamitissa and Pelendri.

Dimitrios Christodoulou, Dimitrakis as he was called, finished the primary school of Deryneia and continued his education at the Famagusta High School³. At the same time, he took correspondence courses at the “Standard Correspondence Course System, Athens”, where he enrolled as a student at the Technical Center, Radio Engineering Department. His goal was to become an electrician on ships.

He worked in the Electrical Department, where he had a rapid career advancement due to the courses he was taking. He had bought his own car, which was rare for his age at that time. His car was also used by his team, which he had joined at the beginning of the fight. His close associates, among others, were the heroes Elias Papakyriakou and Alekos Konstantinou, with whom he took part in various operations in his area. In one of their attacks against an English major, Dimitrakis' car, which was used for the escape, was recognized, and he himself was wanted. To avoid arrest, he fled to the guerrillas and joined Grigoris Afxentiou's team in Palaichori⁴.

At Christmas 1956, Afxentiou's group was divided into smaller ones and Dimitrakis Christodoulou went with the group of the hero Stylianos Lenas. This group, centered in Kato Amiantos⁵, developed extensive action with ambushes against the British, to the point that Georgios Grivas - Digenis ordered a restriction of action.

On January 25, 1957, Lenas' group was forced to temporarily abandon its sector and settle in galleries in the area of the village of Gerasa⁶, in order to escape the large-scale operations of the British in Pitsilia, which were carried out with the help of traitors.

Returning to their area, on February 17, 1957, they were ambushed by the British and Dimitrakis Christodoulou was killed in the ensuing clash between Potamitissa and Pelendri, while Lenas was injured and died forty days later.