Elias Papakyriakou

Elias Papakyriakou was a Cypriot fighter during the EOKA campaign against the British (1955 - 1959).

Papakyriakou was born in Lithragomi, Ammochostos province, on January 25, 1938, one of six children of Giorgos and Maria Papakyriakou. He joined EOKA as a fifth-year high school student. As a member of EOKA, he took part in several bomb attacks in the Famagusta area. In 1957, he managed to steal automatic weapons from a French unit that was on its way to fight in the Suez. On July 13, 1958 he and his men sabotaged the water supplies of the British in the Vatili area.

On July 31 of the same year, Papakyriakou was wounded in a firefight with British soldiers. He managed to escape and joined up with Andreas Karios and his team.

Finally, he and three companions - Fotis Pittas, Christos Samaras and Karios - were caught up in Liopetri in the middle of a British search operation. The four men tried to break through the British lines but failed and took refuge in the barn of local man Panagiotis Kallis. The Battle of Liopetri ensued, on September 2, 1958 and the four men fell as they charged out when the barn was set on fire.

Papakyriakou was 20 years old when he died.