With a delay of 44 years, the Cypriot land is preparing to welcome in its womb another hero of the Turkish invasion. This is the Probationary Reserve Officer Georgios Maouris, 19 years old at the time, who fell last, fighting for faith and homeland in August 1974 at the Counter Line in Nicosia. Maouris was born in Famagusta and his dream was to join the Guards School to obtain the rank of Officer.
On Saturday, June 9, 2018, at 11:00 am, at the Metropolitan Church of Agios Georgios Paralimni, the funeral procession of the Hero Lieutenant Georgios Dimitris Maouris, who fell fighting during the Turkish Invasion, in the area of 16 Agios D / 08/1974, at the age of 19.
His bones were found in a mass grave in an area currently occupied in 2016 and were identified by DNA, about a month ago.
Reception of the relics of the hero in the courtyard of the Church at 10:30 p.m.
The Government will be represented by Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis.
In the black July of 1974, faithful to the call of the homeland, he was placed in the 336th Recruitment Battalion (T.E.) in Prastio, Famagusta. Four days after the barbaric Turkish invasion, the soldiers of 336 TE, under the then Major and later General, Dimitris Alevromagiros, were transferred to Nicosia, to man the outposts of the Counter-Line Line in the area of Agios Pavlos - Kentr. George acted as Assistant Commander in the area of the Central Prison.
The mythical battles of Nicosia
The 336th Reconnaissance Battalion played a decisive role in the defense of Nicosia, effectively stopping Attila in many parts of the Opposition Line. The battles were in most cases unequal, with the conqueror hitting from the air and ground the young men who guarded, like modern 300 of Leonidas, "Thermopylae". Faithful to his standards and ideals, like another Grigoris Afxentiou, George was the last to leave the Opposition Line near the Kermia area, where he was found buried in a mass grave and his bones were identified by DNA.
The material depots of the Battalion were located in camp 201, in the greater area of Famagusta. Some of the nuclei were recruited a few days after the July 20 invasion.
He did not turn his back…
On the 14th of August, Maouris joined the Pai-Pas Battalion, whose Commander was Captain George Papachatzopoulos. It was around 8.00 in the evening of the same day when he became Head of Department in the Department against TOURDYK. The soldiers moved to an area near the current roadblock of Agios Dometios, staying there until 09.00 on the morning of 16 August. There the Turks attacked the young men with all kinds of infantry weapons.
At the same time, the Turkish air force was bombing and shelling their positions. Maurice did not turn his back. He was not afraid. He was not afraid of the enemy. He was the last to stay on the battlefield. There are many testimonies that confirm a death that is neither accidental nor easy. Mauris was found with a chest injury. Another witness stated that when he left, he saw Maurice fighting the Turks. The area was completely hit by mortars and then followed by an attack with tanks, at which time it was occupied.
"Death of a man, death does not count"
The 19-year-old Mauris has since belonged to the Pantheon of Heroes who fell fighting during the Turkish invasion. Paralimni will welcome next Saturday, June 9, in its bowels, the young man who shouted his own "Molon Lave" to the conqueror, with all the glory and honor that befits a hero. Mauris was found in a mass grave in an area currently occupied, in 2016. His bones were identified by DNA, about a month ago.
George is estimated to have fallen fighting heroically a few days before turning 20 years old. On the two days of August 17-18, the dead were collected from the area where Mauris was fighting with his comrades-in-arms. This was an action, which came after an agreement for the supervision of the meditation, by members of the United Nations, who accompanied Greek Cypriot soldiers, who knew the area.
During the meditation phase, a Greek Cypriot soldier, who was looking for his brother, found the lifeless body of George. Unable to transport him, he buried him where he was found, in an area near the roadblock of Agios Dometios, along with two others. Mauris stood up to the Turkish invaders in an unequal battle, in which dozens of young men gave their lives to keep the rest of Nicosia intact.
Famagusta.News with information from TODAY