BRITISH PERSONNEL WHO
DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE IN CYPRUS
APRIL 1, 1955 - DECEMBER 24, 1959
By
David
Carter
THE EOKA conflict in Cyprus is certainly one of Britain's "forgotten wars". It lasted between April 1, 1955 and officially ended on December 24, 1959. At its height, more than 30,000 British troops were assigned to combat EOKA, the Greek Cypriot terrorist organization commanded by Colonel George Grivas of the Greek Army and funded by the Orthodox Church led by Archbishop Makarios.
Officially, 104 British military personnel lost their lives in Cyprus. But research conducted on behalf of BSW indicates there were more than 360 deaths.Yet there are no memorials in the length and breadth of the British Isles that carry their names.
Asked for a full list of these men, the UK's Ministry of Defense in London's Whitehall said none existed, but officials hoped to compile one soon. The task would be "difficult" and "time consuming", they claimed.
Less than a year later, without any official assistance, I sent MoD the names, ranks, service numbers and dates of death of 88 British servicemen, which left the UK government only 17 more to find. In November 2000, I passed them a further 63 names.
Since then, both as a contributor to Britain's Small Wars and a weekly columnist for CYPRUS TODAY, the English language newspaper in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, I have been able to find more names.
The results are below. The list may not be complete. If you know of anyone left out, please contact me directly with their details. The e-mail address is: hackwatchuk@hotmail.com
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Fatallay injured and by bomb thrown at his vehicle near GOLDEN SANDS camp. FAMAGUSTA, on 30 May. |
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Killed by bomb thrown at his vehicle near GOLDEN SANDS camp, FAMAGUSTA. |
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Ambushed and died by automatic fire at PHRENAROS. |
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Dies in bomb explosion, in Plutarchoos St. FAMAGUSTA. |
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Killed by bomb thrown at his vehicle near GODLEN SANDS Camp, FAMAGUSTA. |
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Killed by EOKA. Body discovered Oct.56. He had been missing from his unit since 19 December 1955. |
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Shot dead in PARALIMNI. |
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(Shot dead by EOKA) |
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KIlled by a shot gun in ambush at KALOPSIDHA. |
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Kidnapped by EOKA. Body discovered 19.02.57. |
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Ambushed and died from automatic fire at PHRENAROS. He is buried in the family grave in Charlton Marshall Church cemetery in Dorset. |
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Dies in mine explosion on POLEMIDHIA/LIMASSOL Road. |
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Dies in mine explosion on POLEMIDHIA/LIMASSOL Road. |
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Killed by pressure mine at CAPE ELIA. |
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Ambushed at LEFKONIKO. |
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Dies in mine blast in KTIMA/POLIS Road. |
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Killed by bomb in STROUBMI. |
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Killed by bomb in NAAFI, PAPHOS. |
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Killed by bomb in NAAFI, PAPHOS. |
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Killed by bomb in north PAPHOS District. |
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Killed by pressure mine at CAPE ELIA. |
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He was killed at YIALOUSA Police Station, the first commissioned officer to die in an Eoka attack. His father was Brigadier T. E. D. Kelly of Camberley, Surrey. |
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Killed by bomb at STROUMBI. |
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Dies from injuries sustained in NAAFI bomb explosion in PAPHOS - 16.11.56 |
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On patrol near Nicosia, his party chased curfew breakers. When they failed to stop, an officer opened fire and Thornton was fatally hit by accident. |
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Vehicle hits roads mine at YIALOUSA. Dies in ensuing small arms fire. |
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Abushed and killed LEFKA/PEDHOULAS. |
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Killed by small arms fire on LEFKA/PEDHOULAS Road. |
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Killed on patrol in MORPHOU. |
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(Killed in a Troodos Mountains road accident) |
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(Killed in a road accident) |
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(Died after a fall in the Kyrenia Mountains during an NCO cadre exercise) |
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(See RSM Wheeler's entry for cause of death) |
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Killed in helicopter accident in the Troodos Mountains |
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Killed by bomb thrown at his vehicle in PAPHOS. |
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Ambushed and killed at SPILIA. |
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Shot dead in TROODOS IREA. |
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Shot dead in a road ambush at Kyperounda |
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Ambushed and killed at AMIANDOS. |
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Dies in grenade attack. |
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Ambushed and killed in TROODOS Mts. |
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(Perished when his vehicle fell into a moutain gully during a blizzard) |
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Killed by a bomb in tree, LIMASSOL |
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(Killed by Eoka landmine) |
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Killed by electrically detonated mine on road to BERENGARIA village near LIMASSOL |
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Ambushed at KHANDRIA. Died from bomb wounds. |
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Killed by electrically detonated mine on road to BERENGARIA village near LIMASSOL |
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Ambushed on PYRGOS/ZEROS Rd. Died from gun shot wound. |
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Killed at Akhna |
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Shot while on sentry at GOLDEN SANDS, Famagusta. |
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(murdered off-duty while gardening at his Limassol house) |
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Shot dead in LIMASSOL |
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Killed in explosion at KYKKO Sgts Mess, Nicosia |
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(Shot dead while shopping) |
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(The only West Indian soldier in the RASC at the time. He died in a traffic accident while driving a private car with three passengers. The passengers survived.) |
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(Killed in a traffic incident on the road to Nicosia from Episkopi.) |
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Shot in chest in DHEKELIA |
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Killed by booby trap in cave. |
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Shot in AYIOS DHOMETIOS. |
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Shot dead in AYIOS DHOMETIOS. Andreas Yakoumis, 17, was charged with his murder but was acquitted on a legal technicality. |
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Shot near DHEKELIA. |
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Shot in back in NICOSIA. |
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Ambushed at PETRA. Died from gun shot wounds. |
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Shot and killed in ambush at AKHNA. |
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Killed by bomb in ASHAVAOHANI. |
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Probably the last British soldier to die in the 4-year-long Eoka conflict |
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Shot dead in St.Andrew's Street LIMASSOL |
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Died in Episkopi) |
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Ambushed and killed at YIOLOU. |
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Dies in battle of LIOPETRI. |
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Died in Famagusta shooting incident 1958 |
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Escort vehicle bown up in NICOSIA. |
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Shot dead in VAROSHA. |
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Died from injuries sustained in bomb blact on 13 May at R.M.P. HQ. |
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Killed by small arms fire in ambush on LIMASSOL.EPISLOPI Road. |
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Shot dead in VAROSHA. |
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Killed by bomb in vehicle in VAROSHA. |
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Killed by mine under his Ferret armoured car near Ayios Nikolaos |
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Shot dead in VAROSHA. |
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Shot dead in VAROSHA. |
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Shot dead in his car after treating Greek Cypriot patient in NICOSIA. |
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Shot dead in ambush at KINOUSA. |
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Bombed at LYSSOO Police Station. |
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Bomb at LAPITOS. |
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Ambushed on KYRENIA Road. |
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Dies in mine explosion on EPISKOPI/MALLIA Road. |
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Dies in bomb thrown at his vehicle, LEDRA St, NICOSIA. |
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(Died in a Eoka led riot) |
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Killed in the battle to capture EOKA's No.2, AFXENTIOU. |
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(Killed by 'friendly fire') |
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Vehicle bombed in KTIMA on 27.10.55. Died on 09.12.55 |
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He was the first British soldier to lose his life as a result of Eoka action. He died in Paphos hospital after being wounded by a grenade thrown at the lorry in which he and another soldier were driving near the village of Chlorakas. |
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