Cypriots Serving with the British Forces

Discussion in 'General' started by CL1, Apr 8, 2016.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Cypriots were the first Colonials to serve in France in 1940.

    The number of Cypriots who, during the second world war, joined the Armed Forces as volunteers was 20.000 and includes those who enlisted in the Cyprus Regiment, the Cyprus Volunteer Force, the Air Force, the Womens’ Auxiliary Territorial Service and Womens’ Auxiliary Air Force. It was estimated that a further number of 10.000 Cypriots who had been living at the beginning of the war in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States enlisted and served in the Armed Forces of those countries.

    http://www.cyprusveterans.com.cy/

    http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/33041
     
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  2. Swiper

    Swiper Resident Sospan

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  3. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

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  4. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

  5. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    2 Paybooks I have to Cypriots

    [​IMG]

    ME/7913580 Yacovos Yacovides who was with the RAC (Civil Defence Force)


    [​IMG]

    CY/4281 Photise Nicolaou of the Cyprus Regiment
     
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  6. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    For what it is worth, around 124 Cypriots living in Australia enlisted in the armed forces during WW2



    http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/PlaceSearch.aspx



    (clicking on any of the "1 records" lines will lead you to full details on each individual)
     

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  7. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  8. Quarterfinal

    Quarterfinal Well-Known Member

    Some, like former President Glafkos Clerides:
    International Bomber Command Centre
    had remarkable experiences.

    AMPC NCOs incarcerated in Stalag 383 included:
    Turgut K Gulen, then from Terra, Paphos
    Michail D Drakou, then from Aheretou, Famagusta
    Djemal M Ali, another from the Paphos area (Chrisohovi)
    Joannou Clitos, from Potamiou, Hilarion

    All four - if they were still living - were likely to have become refugees in 1974.
     
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  9. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    Scans reposted (without the annoying photobucket watermark)

    864 NICOLAOU.jpg 1117 yacovides.jpg
     
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  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Cyprus Regiment - Wikipedia
    The Cyprus Regiment was founded on 12 April 1940. It included Infantry, Mechanical, Transport and Pack Transport Companies. Cypriot mule drivers were the first colonial troops sent to the Western Front.[1] They served in France, Ethiopia, Palestine and Italy carrying equipment to areas inaccessible to vehicles. They were used to supply and support other troops at Monte Casino.
    On a brief visit to Cyprus in 1943, Winston Churchill praised the "soldiers of the Cyprus Regiment who have served honourably on many fields from Libya to Dunkirk."[2]

    Ancestry database for POW's held in German POW's has 10 from this Regiment

    TD
     
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