Efraimoglou Athanassios

Efraimoglou, Athanassios Athanassios Efraimoglou had been a friend of the Gormezano family – parents and son Maurice – since 1936. Following the occupation of Athens, Efraimoglou made the necessary arrangements for their escape to the Middle East towards the end of 1943, cooperating with the Greek underground organization. He made all the contacts and paid the expenses for an escape by sea. He supplied the Gormezanos with genuine identity cards in Greek names, signed by Mihail Glykas*, police commander of the Sixth Division in Athens, and Agelos Evert*, chief of the Athens police. He accompanied the Gormezanos to the point on the Marathon beach from where they were picked up by a boat about to sail to the Turkish town of Çeşme. The boat, with 30 passengers on board, was caught in the middle of the sea by a German patrol, but they were among the seven that were finally released, because their papers were found to be genuine. As soon as they were free, they got in touch with Efraimoglou, who found a hiding place for the couple and their son Maurice in Psychiko. He paid all the Gormezanos’ expenses; he was their only visitor and provided for all their needs. Even though this hideout was located near the German SS High Command headquarters, he never failed to call on the family whenever they needed some kind of help from him. They stayed there for one year, and then Efraimoglou moved them to a place in the Cholargo area. Disregarding the risks involved for him and his family, Efraimoglou once again came to smuggle them out, as he heard that the Germans were searching the area, looking for Jews. He came by car, passed the German blockade, urging the Gormezanos to pack quickly and join him. A few hours later the house where they hid was searched, but the Germans found it empty. From there they went to a provisional hideout, until they were liberated on October 12, 1944. On January 17, 1985, Yad Vashem recognized Athanassios Efraimoglou as Righteous Among theNations.