Early Life

Andreas Georgiou entered the world in 1937. His birthplace was the village of Anarita in the Paphos district. He died on October 30, 1956. A bomb explosion in his hometown took his life.

The Pastry Chef and the Patriot

Andreas studied at the Anarita primary school. He later worked as a pastry chef in Nicosia. There, he started his activities with the EOKA organization.

First Act of Defiance

He first attacked British soldiers with a slingshot. He targeted a British patrol in his village and wounded a soldier. A Turkish neighbour, his mother’s friend named Haire Useini, gave him an alibi. This helped him avoid arrest.

A Crucial Weapon

Later, Andreas obtained a service revolver. A Turkish auxiliary in the village of Finikas provided it. This acquisition was very important because the Organization desperately lacked weapons at that time.

The Final Ambush

On October 30, 1956, Andreas waited on a rooftop next to a road. He was preparing to ambush a British patrol that often passed through Anarita. He held a locally made bomb, ready to throw.

At five o’clock, the patrol appeared. As Andreas stood up to throw the bomb, an English soldier threw candies to the elementary school children. The children, who had just finished their afternoon lesson, ran toward the car.

Andreas tried to throw the lit bomb toward a nearby, dilapidated house. No one lived there. But the bomb exploded in his hand and killed him.

A Mother’s Noble Words

His mother showed incredible strength after his death. She said, “I thank God, and so do all my fellow villagers, that my child chose to die rather than kill the babies of the world. It is no harm. If he had thrown his bomb, he would have killed many children. His little sister, whom my Andreas loved so much, was among them.”