Maria Pappadimos
Maria Pappadimos was a Greek woman living on Navarone. Her brother was Private Spyros Pappadimos, who was serving in the British Army during World War II. She herself joined their father in organizing resistance against German occupation on Navarone. Her father was in fact the overall leader of the Greek resistance. When he died, Maria took over in his stead, and became a capable leader and fighter. When Captain Keith Mallory's team, including her brother, arrived, she and fellow resistance fighter Anna met the group at an abandoned cathedral, where she chastised Spyros for never writing her.
Maria proved invaluable to Mallory's team throughout their mission. She impressed Andrea Stavros, who became smitten with her, and she with him. She proved just as ruthless as any of the men when it was revealed her comrade Anna was a traitor. She coldly gunned Anna down in revenge for her betrayal.
During the final phase of the team's plan to silence the guns of Navarone, whilst Mallory and Corporal Miller sneaked into the German fortress wearing the uniforms of Lieutenant Muesel and Captain Sessler, and Andrea and Spyros created diversions by attacking German soldiers outside the fortress, it was given to Maria and Private Casey "Butcher" Brown to steal a getaway boat for the group. The two chose a German patrol boat to steal. It was being guarded by a single sailor. Maria boarded and distracted the sailor, allowing Brown to climb up behind him and attack him. During the struggle, Brown and the German killed each other.
Following the successful completion of their mission, Mallory and Miller leaped from the gun cave entrance below the fortress and into the sea, where they were rescued by Maria in the boat. They were soon joined by Andrea, who swam out and was helped aboard by Mallory. He bore bad news for Maria: Spyros had been killed in a gunfight with a German officer. In Andrea's own worse, Spyros had forgotten why they'd come, and Maria was saddened to learn he'd cared more about killing Germans than about completing the mission and returning to her alive.
