Georgios Psychoundakis
Photo: Frode Inge Helland
Psychoundakis, Georgio b. November 3, 1920 Asi Gonia, Crete, d. January 29, 2006, Chania.
George Psychoundakis (November 3 1920 – January 29 2006) was a Greek Resistance fighter on Crete during the Second World War. He was a shepherd, a war hero and an author. He served as dispatch runner between Petro Petrakas and Papadakis behind the German lines for the Cretan Resistance Movement and later, from 1941 to 1945, for the Special Operations Executive. During the postwar years he was at first mistakenly imprisoned and wrote his memoirs which achieved worldwide success and finally he translated key classical texts into Cretan.
Wartime service
The Cretan runners performed amazing feats and made essential contributions to the British operations in the Mediterranean. Pheidippides, who in 490 B. C. ran 42km from the battle of Marathon to tell about the victory over the Persians, died just after delivering his message. In comparison Georgios Psychoundakis ran from Kastelli Kissamos on the north western coast of Crete to Paleochora on the south western coast in one night. The distance along the present main road is 70km. Through the wild and rugged landscape with deep ravines, where he had to run to avoid the Germans, the distance may be at least twice as far.
The British offered him payment for his work, but he turned down the offer because, as he said, he worked for his country and not for money.
Postwar Life
After the liberation he was unjustly arrested as a deserter and was confined for 16 months in spite of being honoured by the British with BEM (Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service) ) and £200 for his services during the war.
While in confinement he wrote down his memories from his service in the SOE and the Cretan resistance movement. His former superior Patrick Leigh Fermor, later Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor discovered his plight by accident and managed to release him from jail by clearing up the misunderstanding.
Apart from freeing him from imprisonment, Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor discovered his manuscript, translated and had it published under the title "The Cretan Runner" in 1955. The book has been translated to a number of European languages. After the war and his release from prison, Georgios Psychoundakis was first forced to fight in the civil war. Then he worked as a charcoal burner in the Cretan mountains to support his family until his book was published. During this period he wrote the book "The Eagle's Nest" which deals with the life and customs of the mountain people in the villages in the vicinity of his home village Asi Gonia. This book has so far not been translated into other languages.
Psychoundakis also made considerable contributions to Cretian culture. He was a repository of Crete's tradition of oral poetry and also wrote. Possibly Georgio Psychoundakis’ greatest achievement is his translation of Homer's works, "The Illiad" (560 pages) and "The Odyssey" (474 pages) from old Greek language to Cretan dialect. For this he was honoured by the Academy of Athens (TIMES ONLINE February 23, 2006.). Seen against the background of his two or three years of occasional village education, this is really remarkable.
Ironically, in recent years he, together with that other hero of the Greek resistance, Manoli Paterakis, has been the caretaker at the German war cemetery on Hill 107 above Maleme until his retirement.
Reference
- Frode Inge Helland: Personal interview with Georgio Psychoundakis, October 11, 2005, Chania.
- George Psychoundakis Obituary, TIMES ONLINE, February 23, 2006.
- Obituary — The Daily Telegraph
- The Trireme Trust - Newsletter 18
Bibliography
- The Cretan Runner: His Story of the German Occupation. by Georgio Psychoundakis, Translated by P.L. Fermor. ISBN 0719534755