Defence Redefined

Published on 10/11/2020 at 17:52

Today, the Ministry of Defence honored Mr. Costas Kollakidis with the “Exceptional Contribution” medal. 

The modest ceremony took place at an outpost of the National Guard in the area of ​​Kaimakli and Mr. Kollakidis was honored, on behalf of the Minister of Defence, by the Chief of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Democritus Zervakis. 

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Mr. Kollakidis selflessly contributed to the struggles to defend the freedom of our country. A typical example of his contribution is the assembly of three light armored vehicles using English armoured vehicles, which were used for the Cypriot’s needs, in a machine shop created with his wife’s brother, Charalambos Pilakoutas, founder of the Pilakoutas Group.

These are Marmon Herrington Mk-IVF armoured vehicles and it is estimated that 40 of these vehicles were in the service of the 21st Reconnaissance Battalion and in operation in 1964 and 1974. 

Ninety-year-old Costas Kollakidis, from Kaimakli, offered valuable assistance to the National Guard formed in 1964 and to the Greek division from 1964 to 1967. According to the journalist, Lazaros Mavros, Mr. Kollakidis, provided facilities at the Monastery of Agios Chrysostomos, between Koutsoventi and Voufavento on Pentadaktylos, where in 1964 the camp of the 2nd Squadron was created, which came from Greece with the Division that had been sent to defend Cyprus. 

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