Early Life and Education
Panagiotis Kapsis entered the world on March 23, 1939, in the Famagusta village of Rizokarpaso. He attended the local Boys’ School and the Rizokarpaso Gymnasium, graduating in June 1958. He had plans to further his education at the Athens Academy of Physical Education.
Dedication to the Cause
Kapsis first joined the EOKA youth organization, Alkimis Neolea (ANE), in the summer of 1956. By 1957, he was leading a team and moved into his school’s impact teams. His athletic skills and immense dedication made him an inspiration to his fellow students. After graduation in June 1958, he joined an extracurricular ANE team, which also served as a reserve strike force. Beyond his military activities, Kapsis actively participated in the Free Labor Union of Rizokarpaso, where he worked hard to organize workers and fight for their rights.
The Final Ambush
On October 13, 1958, Panagiotis Kapsis and his three comrades, Ioannis Tanis, Nikolas Chronia, and Pavlos Dimitriou, prepared an ambush. They targeted a phalanx of British military vehicles returning from Apostolos Andreas. The team took positions at the “Guppa” location near Vikla, on a hill outside Rizokarpaso. Around one o’clock in the afternoon, they struck the military convoy with three grenades.
A Fierce Chase and Death
Sergeant Hyson, the commander of the motorcade, later testified at the inquest. He stated that after the explosions, he immediately ordered his soldiers to take cover, expecting a subsequent gunfight. When no gunfire occurred, he sent his men to chase and surround the attackers on the ridges, while also blocking the village entrances. The pursuit lasted over two hours, during which soldiers seriously wounded and captured one of Kapsis’s fellow fighters, Ioannis Tanis.
Approximately an hour later, Kapsis attempted to slip back into the village through a narrow gap between a house and some prickly pear trees. A British soldier, hiding in a bush and covering the entrance, shot him. Kapsis fell, pierced by bullets. As English soldiers approached, they further displayed their brutality by firing repeatedly at his body and mutilating it.
A Lost Memorial
His home village once held a monument to honor the hero. However, this memorial was destroyed in 1974, either during or after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
