Andreas Panagidis

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, Panagidis went to his work, accompanied by Michalis Koutsoftas, and shot Royal Airforce officer Patrick John Hale dead. The two men was arrested and sentenced to die. They were executed on September 21, 1956 along with another EOKA member, Stelios Mavrommatis.

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