Andreas Panagidis

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Andreas Panagidis was a Cypriot EOKA fighter during the 1955 - 1959 struggle against the British.

Panagidis was born on November 14, 1934 in the village of Palaiometocho, Lefkosia province, the son of Grigoris and Despina Panagi.

When the struggle broke out on April 1, 1955, Panagidis, who worked as a cook for the British army at Nicosia Airport, offered his services and was initiated into EOKA by his local priest.

His first act was to have been the raising of the Greek flag after the execution of Michalis Karaolis and Andreas Dimitriou, however, a British soldier found his flag after searching his belongings at the airport. The soldier then demanded that Panagidis wipe his shoes with the flag. Instead of submitting to such a humiliation, Panagidis attacked and beat the soldier.

The next day, May 16, 1956, Panagidis went to his work, accompanied by Michalis Koutsoftas and shot Royal Air Force Corporal Patrick John Hale dead. The two men were arrested and sentenced to die. A third companion, Paraskevas Choiropoulis, was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Panagidis and Koutsoftas were executed by hanging on September 21, 1956 along with another EOKA member, Stelios Mavrommatis arrested in a separate incident.

Panagidis was survived by his wife Yiannoula and their three children: Aristides, Despo and Avgi. He was buried in the Imprisoned Tombs in the Central Jail of Nicosia.