LELA CARAYANNIS - BOUBOYLINA

1941-1945 Resistance & Inteligence

NATIONAL GREEK ORGANIZATION

 

DIS EAR TS VOL DIS
 

DISASTER PAGES OF DR. GEORGE P.C.

 

 

 

 

A Tribute to Lela Carayannis


George Pararas-Carayannis

On September 8, 1944, at the outskirts of Athens, Greece, the quietness of the morning dawn was broken again by sounds of Nazi machine gun fire. These were familiar sounds at the killing fields at the foot-hills of Dafni, near the concentration camp of Haidari. Daily, Nazi execution squads carried routinely their orders of executing the Greek patriots, the occupants of the concentration camp. This time it was Lela Carayannis, the brave fighter of the Greek Resistance and the heroic leader of the Greek resistance/intelligence organization known as "Bouboulina", who fell by the bullets of the Nazi executioners. Lela and 71 of her followers and patriot coworkers were gunned down that morning. Death was a form of freedom and probably a welcome release for Lela's mortal body which, for three solid days prior to the execution, had been tortured cruelly by her SS interrogators.

Witnesses, observing from the hills of Daphni in the distance, related the story that just before the execution the group of patriots led by Lela begun to sing and that she led them in the dance of "Zallogos", a symbolic dance and song of defiance in choosing death rather than loss of freedom or submission to the enemy. This was the song and dance of the women and children of Messolongi, in the war of independence from the Turks when, one by one, they had jumped off a cliff at Messolongi, choosing death rather than capture and humiliation by the Turks.

Photo of Allied soldiers and officers (New Zealanders) trapped in Greece and helped by Lela Carayannis' Bouboulina Organization with refuge and support before coordinating their escape to the Middle East.

It was in the first few days of the Nazi occupation of Greece that Lela Carayannis begun forming her organization "Bouboulina". Initially, it started with the humanitarian effort of helping a few allied soldiers who had been separated from their units and had been unable to evacuate in time. They had been trapped by the advancing German troops and needed refuge and support. Lela came to their rescue setting up temporary safe havens. Soon thereafter, Greek patriots of her organization combing the countryside, brought in more and more trapped soldiers. These rescue operations grew and became more demanding and more daring.

Lela Carayannis' initial goal was to provide basic health care and refuge to hundreds of such allied and Greek soldiers and fliers wounded and trapped by the German forces. Lela organized the safe houses where these fighters would be treated for their wounds, brought back to health, and helped escape to the free mountains or back to their units in the Middle East. She helped finance their escapes using fishing boats which took the allied fighters from island to island, closer and closer to the Middle East. Quickly, Lela's organization grew in numbers as more and more Greek patriots answered this humanitarian call to duty.

Lela Carayannis was a woman with remarkable self-control, steel nerves and strong will. She had admirable organizational skills. Her leadership qualities were recognized and she inspired the respect of everyone around her.

Organizational Diagram and Activities of Lela Carayannis' Bouboulina Intelligence and Resistance Teams from May 10, 1941 until her arrest by the Gestapo in July 1944.

In a very brief time she managed to organize into coherent units more than 150 trusted Greek resistance patriots from all walks of life. She organized them into units of intelligence and later into assault teams against the Nazi conquerors. Her organirzation was given the code name "Bouboulina" named after her own great grandmother, "Boubouli", a heroine of the Greek war of independence from the Turks.

In a few brief months following the German occupation of Greece, Lela expanded the activities of her organization to every aspect of effective resistance and intelligence. She managed to plant members of her intelligence teams in enemy services and organizations, including the high German Army command, the German Admiralty office, the German Air Force command, and even in the secret German police, the Gestapo, in the German and Italian high commands. Not only she had Greek patriots helping her, but she even managed to recruit agents from the enemy's own ranks, disgruntled anti-Nazi German officers, Italian anti-fascists, and Germans who had married Greek women. Everyone was passing to her bulletins of German army and ship movements, of fortifications, of movements of supplies and personnel and every other type of useful information. This information in turn was coded and wired to the Allied headquarters in the Middle East and used for strategic decisions and counteractions in subsequent allied offensives and bombing raids.

Unfortunately near the closing days of the war, a member of the "Bouboulina" organization made an unforgivable mistake and got caught. This mistake led the Gestapo to the capture of Lela and many of her coworkers.

On July 11, 1944, Lela Carayannis was arrested at the hospital where she had been hospitalized ill. On 14 August 1944, in the office of the well-known for his atrocities, Gestapo interrogator Beke, Lela was brought face to face with her assistant who had been broken down by the Nazi interrogators and had disclosed everything about the activities of the "Bouboulina" organization. For three days Lela was tortured cruelly by her captors who were unable to get a word out of her about additional members of her organization or ongoing activities. Frustrated and humiliated by Lela's courage and strength of character, interrogator Beke finally gave up. He closed the file on the organization "Bouboulina" with the phrase "Lela Carayannis, the most dangerous spy in the Balkans.

Shortly thereafter, Lela, members of her organization and six of her children - her three sons {George, Byron (our father) and Nelson} and three of her daughters (Ioanna, Nefeli and Electra) - were transferred to the concentration camp at Haidari, where they were subjected to torture and abuse. Finally, on the early hours of that fateful morning of September 8, 1944, Lela Carayannis and seventy-one of the brave Greek patriots were machine-gunned down. Lela's children and some of her coworkers held at another part of the camp - destined for execution the following day - managed to escape with the help of an anti-Nazi German officer. They hid in Athens and did not learn of their mother's execution until several days later.

Lela Carayannis' "Bouboulina" Primary Team of Greek Patriots (several executed with her - crosses afrer names)

Unfortunately near the closing days of the war, a member of the "Bouboulina" organization made an unforgivable mistake and got caught. Under torture, he betrayed his comrades. This mistake led the Gestapo to the capture of Lela and many of her coworkers, who were executed only three weeks before the Occupational force retreated from Greece.

On July 11, 1944, Lela Carayannis was arrested at the hospital where she had been hospitalized ill. On 14 August 1944, in the office of the well-known for his atrocities, Gestapo interrogator Beke, Lela was brought face to face with her assistant who had been broken down by the Nazi interrogators and had disclosed everything about the activities of the "Bouboulina" organization. For three days Lela was tortured cruelly by her captors who were unable to get a word out of her about additional members of her organization or ongoing activities. Frustrated and humiliated by Lela's courage and strength of character, interrogator Beke finally gave up. He closed the file on the organization "Bouboulina" with the phrase "Lela Carayannis, the most dangerous spy in the Balkans.

Photo of Lela Carayannis on Happier Days Before the War

Shortly thereafter, Lela, members of her organization and six of her children - her three sons {George, Byron (our father) and Nelson} and three of her daughters (Ioanna, Nefeli and Electra) - were transferred to the concentration camp at Haidari, where they were subjected to torture and abuse. Finally, on the early hours of that fateful morning of September 8, 1944, Lela Carayannis and seventy-one of the brave Greek patriots were machine-gunned down. Lela's children and some of her coworkers held at another part of the camp - destined for execution the following day - managed to escape with the help of an anti-Nazi German officer. They hid in Athens and did not learn of their mother's execution until several days later.

Such was the fate of Lela Carayannis, a simple housewife forced by circumstances to rise to martyrdom, in defense of her country and humane causes. She sacrificed everything, including her life, for what she believed. After the war was over, Lela was awarded, post mortem, the highest medals for valor and honor by King George V of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Attlee who succeeded Winston Churchill, King Paul of Greece, the Greek Government, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Pope/Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa, among many others. After the war, New Zealanders and other members of the allied troops whose lives Lela had touched and saved, wrote and expressed their gratitude and appreciation.

Commendation (accompanied by U.K highest Medals) of Lela Carayannis ( Eleni Karayanni in Greek) by King George V, initiated by Winston Churcill and signed by his successor C. R. Attlee, U.K. Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.

Lela Carayannis' heroic actions and ultimate sacrifice is remembered every year in Greece on the anniversary of her execution. The old house on Limnou 1, still standing among the high rises in Athens, near the Square of America, is in the register of Athens' national monuments. The street has been renamed "Lela Carayannis" Street. At a small square near the Athens Museum, where her marble statue has been erected, is the site where Greek officials and citizens gather every year, on the anniversary of the execution, to hold a memorial service and to pay tribute and respect to Lela Carayannis and the fallen Greek patriots of the Bouboulina organization.

The dramatic circumstance of the war converted a simple mother of seven children and a housewife into a resistance fighter of legendary proportions. Lela Carayannis is Greece's national symbol and an example of heroism and altruism which transcends the ages, teaching and inspiring younger generations of Greeks about the value of freedom and human dignity.

A FEW OTHER OF THE COMMENDATIONS AND MEDALS

Commendation (accompanied by the highest Medals for valor) to Lela Carayannis by King Paul of Greece and by the Greek Government.


Commendation by Patriarch Timotheus A' of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine

Commendation by the Pope and Patriarch Chistoforos B' of Alexandria and of All Africa

Commendations (accompanied with Medals for bravery and sacrifice) awarded to Lela Carayannis by the Academy of Athens.


 

Google
 
   

©1982 - 2010 Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis - All rights reserved

Last update: Dec 10, 2010

   
         

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

 

EMAIIL