Georgios Tombras

{{Short description|Greek military officer}} {{Infobox military person | name = Georgios Tombras | honorific_suffix = | image = Georgios_Tombras.JPG | image_size = | alt = | caption = Tombras during the Macedonian Struggle. | native_name = Γεώργιος Τόμπρας | native_name_lang = Greek | birth_name = | nickname = Kapetan Roupakias (Καπετάν Ρουπακιάς) | birth_date = 1 January 1878 | birth_place = Kydonies, [[Hüdavendigâr Vilayet|Bursa Vilayet]], [[Ottoman Empire]] (now [[Republic of Turkey]] | death_date = 20 April 1963 | death_place = [[Chalandri]], [[Kingdom of Greece]] | burial_place = | burial_label = | burial_coordinates =  | allegiance = {{flagicon|Greece|royal}} [[Kingdom of Greece]] | branch = * {{army|Greece}} | service_years = 1897–1913 | rank = [[File:GR-Army-OF1b-1912.svg|15px]] [[Lieutenant]] | service_number =  | unit = | commands = | battles = [[Macedonian Struggle]]<br>[[Balkan Wars]] *[[First Balkan War]] *[[Second Balkan War]] | battles_label = | awards = | memorials = | spouse =  | relations = | other_work = Pharmacist | signature = | signature_size = | signature_alt = }} '''Georgios Tombras''' ({{langx|el|Γεώργιος Τόμπρας}}) was a Greek military officer who became a [[guerrilla]] leader in the [[Macedonian Struggle]] in the early 20th century under the ''[[nom de guerre]]'' '''Roupakias''' (Ρουπακιάς).

==Biography== Georgios Tombras was born in the then mostly Greek-speaking Asia Minor city of [[Ayvalık|Kydonies]] (also known as Aivali, present-day Ayvalık). He was commissioned a lieutenant and served in the Greek Army as a [[pharmacist]]. He went to Macedonia in 1905 as a secretary in the detachment of [[Stavros Rigas]] ("Captain Kavodoros"),<ref>г., в: Военноисторически сборник, бр.4, 2011, стр.48</ref> later he was with rebel [[Georgios Katechakis]] ("Captain Rouvas") in [[Kastoria]]. In September 1906 he was the lieutenant of [[Konstantinos Saros]] during the fighting at [[Giannitsa Lake]]. Later that year he returned to Greece, according to sources, after entering into a serious dispute with Saros.<ref>[http://www.promacedonia.org/obm2/16b.html#182_2 Силянов, Христо. Освободителните борби на Македония, том II, фототипно изд. "Наука и Изкуство", София, 1983, стр.189.]</ref>

After his furlough, he returned to Macedonia, this time active in the [[Nestorio]] sector. He cooperated with [[Stefos Grigoriou]], and along with the guerrilla bands of [[Ioannis Terzis]] and [[Nikolaos Platanias]] ("Captain Lachtaras") gave battle on 3 July 1907 against a detachment of [[IMRO]], in which the Bulgarian chieftain [[Atanas Krshakov]] was killed.<ref>Αρχείο Διεύθυνσης Εφέδρων Πολεμιστών Αγωνιστών Θυμάτων Αναπήρων (ΔΕΠΑΘΑ), Αρχείο Μακεδονικού Αγώνα, φ. Τ-432</ref> During the [[Balkan Wars]] (1912–1913) he operated for a year in Western Macedonia as the lieutenant of [[Georgios Katechakis]],<ref>Ioannis S. Koliopoulos (ed.), Αφανείς, γηγενείς Μακεδονομάχοι, Εταιρεία Μακεδονικών Σπουδών, University Studio Press, Thessaloniki, 2008, p. 78</ref> taking part in one of the so-called First Battle of [[Nicopolis]] (known by its ancient name) in the area of [[Preveza]] in [[Epirus]]. The main action occurred on 19 October 1912, after Greek troops began marshalling on the 16th, prefatory to Greece's declaration of war on the 17th. Tombras as a lieutenant led the centre of the Greek line in support of Captain Katechakis and 2nd Lieutenant Zoudianos who advanced in a [[pincer movement]] backed by a number of Greek volunteer corps under various leaders while, [[counter-battery fire]] under a Lieutenant Khavikis suppressed the Turkish [[artillery]], much of which was later captured, along with other equipment The main battle lasted ten hours.<ref>Geōrgios B. Tsokopoulos, ''Historia tou hellēnotourkikou polemou, 1912–1913'', Volume 1, Atlantis, Inc.: New York, pp.225–28 (in [[Greek language|Greek]]) available at: [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ag5BAAAAYAAJ&q=%CE%A4%CE%BF%CE%BC%CF%80%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%82&pg=PA226]</ref>

In November 1912, one Georgios Tombras ''alias'' "''Polyhniatis''" joined others in sending a letter detailing the state of Turkish defences at [[Moudros]] that led to the [[Hellenic Navy]] taking part in the Liberation of Lemnos (the annexation of the Greek-speaking island by the [[Kingdom of Greece]]) under [[Pavlos Kountouriotis]]. It is not clear whether this Georgios Tombras was the same person as the ''makedonomahos'' fighter, whether he was a spy for the Greek military, or what other role, if any, he played in the subsequent fighting.<ref>"Μέλιας", "Η απελευθέρωση της Λέσβου( 8 Νοεμβρίου 1912)", ''ΑΒΕΡΩΦ Διαδικτυακό Θωρηκτό'' (''AVEROFF: The Battleship Website''; in Greek [https://averoph.wordpress.com/2014/11/08/%CE%B7-%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%B8%CE%AD%CF%81%CF%89%CF%83%CE%B7-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-%CE%BB%CE%AD%CF%83%CE%B2%CE%BF%CF%85-8-%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%B2%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85-1912/]), retrieved July 3, 2015</ref>

<gallery class="center"> Image:Georgios Tombras.jpg |Tombras Image:Georgios Tombras 2.jpg |Tombras </gallery>

==References== {{Commons category|Georgios Tombras}} <references />{{Macedonian Struggle}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tombras, Georgios}} [[Category:People of the Macedonian Struggle]] [[Category:Hellenic Army officers]] [[Category:Greek nationalists]] [[Category:20th-century Greek military personnel]] [[Category:People from Ayvalık]] [[Category:Greeks from the Ottoman Empire]] [[Category:1878 births]] [[Category:1963 deaths]]