Cyprus 1974

[Old John]

40 years ago this week I was a young J/T at TASF Akrotiri, staying overnight in Limassol with a workmate, Paul Henry.
His wife Chris had gone off to work and we went into town.
It was about 9am but shops were being shut up and people were scurrying about.
We asked a local if it was a Saint's Day or something.
We got the reply 'Makarios -finished'.

This was the start of the coup and Turkish invasion to follow.
Cyprus has never been the same since.

I can't remember what I was doing last week, but the events of 40 years ago stay fresh in my memories.

I'm off to Cyprus again for the 10th time next month, still love it there.

There must be someone here who was there as well.

 

[Rocket_Ronster]

I used to play Sunday League football with a Greek lad who did his National Service in the mountains there. Until he was telling the tale, i didn`t know they had NS.

 

[morse1001]

I can remember watching the Turkish paras landing on the news report. A Cpl I knew at Pitreavie, his wife went into labour on the day it started. Pip called for an ambulance to take his wife to akrotiri, where he worked in the comcen. he ambulance broke down about a 100 yards from the main gate an his son was delivered in the ambulance. Technically, the so cannot go back to Cyprus due his need to do NS.

 

[FOMz]

I was a 4 year old bin lid and was evacuated from Famagusta back to the UK.

 

[Shiny10]

Disorganization

Disorganization

I slept in a cargo net slung between girders in 70Sqn Role Bay for four weeks. I was then made to move on to a camp bed in a stinking small room in the block shared by another eleven mates.

Lots of stories to be told about this time but no one would believe them.

What happened to the ship full of Tomatoes that was sunk whilst heading for Akrotiri?

 

[iainrm]

Yes I was there

Yes I was there

Technically on Vulcan 2nd line but I spent more on first line.
Also sector warden in Limassol around Kosti Palama.
As you say it was never the same my last trip was 84 APC with 29, did about 5 of those.
Never really enjoyed it after 74 certainly never an option for retirement, but i did chase the sun to Mexico!!

 

[Flybynight]

Technically on Vulcan 2nd line but I spent more on first line.
Also sector warden in Limassol around Kosti Palama.
As you say it was never the same my last trip was 84 APC with 29, did about 5 of those.
Never really enjoyed it after 74 certainly never an option for retirement, but i did chase the sun to Mexico!!

I know someone who retired to Cyprus but gave up and came back because of the water shortages. Fantasy: little house with flowers. Reality: little house with scorched earth and limited washing and cooking water.

 

[UlsterExile]

I slept in a cargo net slung between girders in 70Sqn Role Bay for four weeks. I was then made to move on to a camp bed in a stinking small room in the block shared by another eleven mates.

Lots of stories to be told about this time but no one would believe them.

What happened to the ship full of Tomatoes that was sunk whilst heading for Akrotiri?

That's what egoat is all about, nothing better than pulling up a sandbag to my desk and swining the hurrican lamp while reading stuff from the good ole days and spitting my tea out all over the screen. While laughing and sniggering.

 

[6A1]

Small World

Small World

Technically on Vulcan 2nd line but I spent more on first line.
Also sector warden in Limassol around Kosti Palama.
As you say it was never the same my last trip was 84 APC with 29, did about 5 of those.
Never really enjoyed it after 74 certainly never an option for retirement, but i did chase the sun to Mexico!!

C111 then - didn't know that you were in ASF - BWSS lecky with Colin Worth on other shift. Quite a few of the Entry out there at the same time. Lived in Omonia behind Les's Bar.

 

[6A1]

Was on leave and heading out for a day in Kyrenia, popped into the local shop for some nibbles and beer and the locals were having a wailing about Mac being deposed. So back home and then called into work. Spent the time living under Houchins. window dispensers, and even underneath a Vulcan.Evening job was i/c No 4 mess ( behind the Pen Club) This was where all the tourists who were stranded in Cyprus ended up to fly home. Most had been on the road for 5 or so days and were fairly knackered. We had 6 bogs and 6 sinks with something like 300-500 people coming through every 8 hour shift. fed them and bedded them down on camp beds. Some very nubile Scandanavians who were absolutely knackered crashed out on camp beds. Did a roaring business in senior officer tours of distressed females ! For those of you who missed it, Akrotiri was the busiest airport in the world for that short time in 74 with one in, one out every 10 mins or so TASF worked their socks off.We sent a Vulcan airborne every 4 hours to circle Olympus and see what was coming out of Turkey and to vector 56s Lightning in case of an SBA incursion. Eventually all wives who lived in Limasol were sent home - mine went in a Belfast. Then found some permanent accomodation in the Sgt mess - 10 to a room. Magic!. Bomber Wing was the ******** of the world to the rest of Akrotiri but, because the Vulcans had to keep current we ended up doing monthly dets to Waddo, suddenly everyone from the rest of the station wanted to be on the shift. Tough.
One of the UN outfits that I did have a lot of time for were the Australian Police who went into Turkish or Greek villages armed only with a pistol and escorted refugees to safety.

Been back a few times, but, like everything change happens and not necessarily for the better. I found that talking to Cypriots who had lived through the troubles gave you a bit more cred with them as most had a limited knowledge of what went on. I also found out where those who were not persona grata ended up in unmarked graves. A lot of old scores were settled in those dark days - Greek vs Greek ! Solution - not this side of 2099 !

 

[PingDit]

I was a young married SAC Radar Mech serving a tour at 280SU at Cape Gata when it all kicked off. My wife and I rented a flat in Limassol. She was initially moved onto base and lived with a Chief Tech's family in a quarter on base until being flown home in a herc some weeks later. I had to live in 168 block and went on to serve a further 10 months unaccompanied. Some of the things that have stuck in my mind include:
1. Hearing a BBC commentator giving a commentary outside the main gates at Akrotiri which included "...and you can hear the Mig's going over now..." as a pair of Lightning's went over.
2. Seeing the shelves in the rear of the Limassol Families Office cleared to make space on the shelves to let all the babies have somewhere to sleep.
3. Hearing about the army guy in his Tank take out a sniper who was keeping his wife pinned down (amongst others) in the house opposite. He then drove his tank up to his front door and escorted his wife to his tank.

 

[6A1]

After a few days of hazardous commuting back to Limasol, all families were told to get ready to move to Aki/Epi. We packed what we could into the car, waited for the allotted time and with our Union Flags on the car headed off down the bypass along with several hundred other cars. When we turned off at Kolossi, there on the corner were a battalion of Jocks, pipes going full blast and sharpening their bayonets. Up into reception at Akrotiri and got our allocated place in quarters. For those of you, who don't know what quarters were like - 3 bed prefabs basically and 2 wives and kids per room plus the family who already lived there, so pretty crowded. blokes dossed elsewhere at work mainly, see previous post. we were allowed access at end of shift - we were lucky, lady of the house was magnificent unlike some. So we were able to have some family life. Life became a bit of a routine, All the blokes were given a secondary community job which they did after their normal shift. this included things like mess duties, cleaning and emptying the septic tanks ! All the Turkish labourers had been evacuated and so the SWOs' marines came into their own.
This went on for about 3 weeks and although we had a reprieve and were allowed back to Limasol, it all went wrong and were evacuated once and for all. Seats were allocated on any RAF transport out to Lyneham and Brize. Brits, Comets VC10s, Hercs and Belfasts did the job and so the wives and kids left.
After that some semblance of order came about and we were all allocated permanent living space albeit living on top of your neighbour.

 

[Toonman]

I was part of the reinforcement sent from UK. We were allocated to the SWO and ended up for four weeks emptying dustbins around the married patch from 07.00 til 16.00 every day. We were allocated a driver and wagon from MT and had to take at least four loads a day to the dump. As it was a normal MT vehicle we had to use large brooms at the dump to clear the back of the vehicle. We were allocated a condemmed block to live in which was no real hardship until the Marines turned up and took over half the block which meant we had to double up in all rooms. Life turned out a bit lively then. They had a barbeque every night and no one asked where the lamb came from for all the kebabs they produced, and no one asked where the spirits came from to drink but some of them tasted rather funny. They sent two patrols out every day. Rather them than me around there.
Once most of the families were sent home they didn't need so many dustbins emptied so I was reallocated to barrack stores to retrieve the extra furniture and supplies which had been issued to quarters. 17,000 blankets had to be stacked and over 100 makeshift cots of drawers with netting nailed across had to be dismantled. At least we then were returned to normal hours which gave us some time to go to the beach.
I eventually returned home two days before the birth of my son. It was an experience I will never forget.

 

[Shiny10]

Pull up a sandbag

Pull up a sandbag

After a couple of weeks of the wife and family dossing in an overcrowded MQ on camp and me in my cargo net at work, we were allowed back down town.

A few days later BFBS (Radio) broadcast that we must pack our things as the families were to be shipped home starting the following day, we were to wait for further instructions.

My wife dutifully packed the cases and we went to bed. At 6am some guy was banging very loudly on our door so I got out of bed where I had been sleeping in the 'all together' (it was hot) and looked in the drawer for some shreddies to put on, but the drawer was empty. I went to the bathroom to get a towel, there weren't any. I looked in the dirty washing basket, it was empty. My dear wife had packed everything and I do literally mean everything. I opened the door slightly and stuck my head round it to be faced by the warden demanding the keys to my Honda 90 as he said he had the right to requisition it and telling me we were to evacuate the hiring now.
Later that day my wife and family were called forward to fly back to the UK on a Herc. I refused to let them fly on such an awful aircraft (I worked on the damn things); I had watched hundreds of Greek and Turk Cypriots with British Passports flying to the UK on VC10’s, Britannia’s, and Comets, none on Hercs. She came back on a Comet and after that they stopped telling families what aircraft they were to fly on.

Anyone want to buy a small paper 'bullet proof union jack'?

There’s more. later maybe/maybe not!

 

[Old John]

Thanks to this thread I have now spoken to my old mate Paul Henry after 40 years gap.
Carrying on...

Once we heard the coup was in progress we did the most sensible thing. We went to Paul's local shop and bought a case of Keo. We could hear shells being fired hitting the nearby Curiom police station. Paul's neighbour was chasing another man down the street waving a large knife in a not very friendly way.

We then thought it would be a good idea to drive to Akrotiri.

We got into my Datsun Cherry and make our way through Limassol.
I remember driving down one street and we noticed all the shop doorways had men with guns pointing towards where we were heading so I reversed quickly and found another route.

We then got stopped at a makeshift checkpoint - an overturned car in the road.
We were surrounded by excitable Cypriots all holding guns. One lad who appear to be about 15 stuck a rifle through the open window, pointing at me. I really thought we might get shot, but he waved us through.

 

[6A1]

Once the "war" was over, we on Bomber Wing, were on month about Waddo dets to keep crews current. First one I went on October 74 was a bit fraught, as usual we went 70 Sqn and with their usual punctuality were very late getting to Waddo. Result was no customs guy. So we hung about for a couple of hours then the Det Cdr said fill in customs declaration and leg it so most of us did. The few who lingered were caught by an irate customs man and turned over for a few quid !! All the next week we had sneak visits to check for watches. When the 6 aircraft arrived and opened the bomb doors, customs had another fit - oranges and other exotics were laden in the paniers so there was more money to be made. The best laugh was the last a/c. Bomb doors opened and sat in the bomb bay was a Mini Cooper. The crew chief who owned it was a rally enthusiast and used to flog this thing up and down the Cyprus hills. Winched it down, showed the paperwork and drove off ! The look on the customs guy was epic.
Those of you who served at Waddo will know about the weavers van with its gut busting selection of cakes. Having been starved in Cypus of such delicacies, we bought the lot as we were first call of the day, this peed off the Waddo line and we had to make do with what they left once the route was changed for the rest of the month.
Last Friday of the det, last a/c in ran onto the grass and dug in. Pilot ignored the marshaller (as if) As we were ready to do a POETS to family, this was most incondierate. Shovels PSP and tug and out it came in record time and the crew didn't snag it - could have been the riggers standing around with sledgehammers influenced the procedings. So most of us made it home to families then back to sunny Cyprus.

 

[6A1]

During the "war", inbound to Aki was BEER, CONTACEPTIVES, TRANQUALISERS and ammunition!

Beer is still a sore subject - several countries sent loads of free beer in appreciation of what the troops did for their nationals. However it went into the NAAFI store and was sold at full price. This caused great dissatisfaction in the ranks and was fobbed off by NEAFHQ. Still rankles.

When the families were on Aki, we had some 10,000 inside the wire and so walking back to your wife's quarter meant that you came close or stepped over someone having it away. The road to the beach was the same with rocking cars all the way.

Little know facts of the "war"!

 

[Rocket_Ronster]

Beer is still a sore subject - several countries sent loads of free beer in appreciation of what the troops did for their nationals. However it went into the NAAFI store and was sold at full price.

What sort of price was full price back then ?
When we were detached there for GW1 build up, it was straight into the bar at 7am every morning (we were on perm nights) for a litre bottle of (island brewed) Carlsberg.
That was knocked out at 10p a bottle. Naturally, we were happy campers.

 

[6A1]

RR
Wasn't much compared to today's price but was the sheer brass neck to charge for something freely given!

 

[Old John]

several countries sent loads of free beer in appreciation of what the troops did for their nationals

I remember that to 'compensate' for the missing beer, there was a night of 'free' beer in the Pen Club.

Every table made huge pyramids from the empties and then someone thought it would create a party atmosphere if all the ceiling fans were draped with streams of bog roll.

It was very picturesque watching these long trails spiralling round and round.

Then someone thought it would be a good idea to set light to them (this may or may not have been me).

Then there was a massive can throwing barrage from one end to the other - it reminded me of arrows being fired at Agincourt (I saw the film -I wasn't actually there).

Then it all went downhill.