Georgios Stylianou
Timeline Events
He was born in Neo Chorio1, Paphos district, on November 7, 1938 and grew up in Polis Chrysochous2, where his parents settled.
He fell fighting against the British on November 4, 1956.
Georgios Stylianou graduated from the elementary school of Polis Chrysochous and attended the Hellenic High School3 there until the fourth grade. He was enthusiastic with an element of courage evident. He joined EOKA from the beginning of the struggle and developed a rich activity by connecting with the rebel group of his region. Then, at the behest of his department head, he was put in charge of an Assault Rifle team in his village.
In May and June 1956, together with his fellow fighters, he cleared bushes and prepared an airplane landing strip in the area of Akamas4, for dropping weapons from an airplane or landing it. The armament was planned to be sent to EOKA secretly from Italy.
On May 23, 1956, Georgios Stylianou managed to execute a Turkish police officer of Polis Chrysochous, who arrested and interrogated Greeks and used to abuse the relatives of rebels. He was identified but not arrested because he was hiding.
On November 4, 1956, he challenged the English to rise in Neo Chorio when, on his orders, his fellow villagers destroyed the mailbox bearing the emblem of Great Britain and raised the Greek flag at the primary school. At the entrance of the village he was waiting for the English at the head of his group, which consisted of Georgios Anastasi and Vasos Panagi, who were killed with him.
They hit with an electric mine the second car of the British phalanx that arrived, because in the first one the police authorities had placed two of their compatriots, whom they used as human shields. With him immobilized, they dropped both of their grenades, one of which did not explode, and moved away towards the hill. A chase ensued during which Stylianou was wounded in the leg by an English sniper.
His two comrades turned back, picked up their leader and tried to leave, carrying him under the heavy fire of the enemies, but all three were captured. The English soldiers together with the Turkish auxiliaries, who were with them, framed Stylianou by shooting him in the head and killed his companions with spears.
Decapitated, they were taken to their village, where they forced the residents to gather and watch new shootings of the already dead fighters, whom they then hung in their cars and drove around the streets of Polis Chrysochous.
Their death shocked the whole of Cyprus but at the same time steeled the will to continue the struggle.
