Lieutenant Dimitrios Itsios (1906-1941)

Lieutenant Dimitrios Itsios was a reserve non-commissioned officer in the Greek Army and a hero of the Battle of Omorfoplagia. During the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, Itsios commanded a machine gun squad consisting of the P7 and P8 machine gun positions of the Metaxas Line at Omorfoplagia, Serres. Despite having a small team, he managed to cover the retreat of the Greek soldiers and delay the German forces. The German losses were significant, as they lost around 200 men and a lieutenant colonel, Ebelling. Ultimately, the Germans were able to surround the P8 gun emplacement where Itsios was defending alongside soldiers Ziogas and Kozartsi, who resisted until they ran out of ammunition. After the forced surrender of the gun emplacement to the Germans on April 6, 1941, the German commander had a brief exchange with Itsios. Recognizing him as the leader of the fierce resistance at the Greek machine gun post, the commander decided to execute him. He had his men present arms and immediately shot him in the head with his pistol. The other two Greek soldiers were set free, and they later told the story of the sacrifice made by Itsios. After the war, his wife, Anna, exhumed his remains and buried him in their village, which was below the machine gun post, in Ano Poroi, Serres.

Pictured: The protagonist of the Battle of Omorfoplagia (April 6, 1941), Lieutenant Dimitrios Itsios. ©Municipal Photography Museum of Kalamaria ‘Christos Kalemkeris’.