PW Cyprus pic

[mcspool]

Do you know 30BK09?

I see 30BK08 survives at Bovington. Could this have served in Cyprus as well?

 

- Hanno

Edited April 16, 2009 by mcspool

[fv1609]

30 BK 09 became a Mk 2 & was struck off to Beverley on 24/2/83 but loaned to the Grange Cavern Museum.

 

30 BK 08 in mid 1980s was credited as donated to Bovington but still on census. But I see in Dec 1987 it was struck off census at DVD Hilton.

 

I have no idea whether 30 BK 08 was actually in Cyprus. Bear in mind it was a FV1612 not an APC (ie FV1611) & I would have thought APCs would be the back bone of patrols rather than a FFW with a single chair in the back. Having said that 30 BK 09 was definitely in Cyprus as we can see & it only sports one antenna whip.

 

I note that 08 is marked identically to 09 in some pics in terms of Bridge class, Unit marking & 'S'. So it is possible that this was a legitimate copy of the markings to put it in Cyprus role. (Bellerophon seemed to appear later on 09)

[les freathy]

This convoy is marked up in Nato colours so presume the pig is also painted white. Second photo taken in Famagusta in 1963 is with 9th Independant Parachute SQDN

[les freathy]

Had another look at the first photo and am not sure they are NATO markings now, someone will put us right

[fv1609]

If it was NATO Command with two or more countries, STANAG 2027 required the country flag/emblem marking to be displayed on the nearside front wing. That is not present in the picture. The UK was acting as a guarantor of the treaty set up by UK, Greece & Turkey to maintain the independence of Cyprus. The treaty referred to as the London-Zurich Agreements was finalised in Feb 1959, with independence from the UK in August 1960.

 

As far as UN markings go if the picture is actually 1963. The Security Council only adopted Resolution SC 5/5575 on 4 March 1964. UNFICYP only became fully operational by the end of June 1964.

Edited April 16, 2009 by fv1609

[mcspool]

Are any Pigs left in the "Cyprus configuration" (for lack of a better term)? Is this survivor representative for the type in service at that time and place (source: http://www.bredow-web.de)?

I found some more pictures of the survivor posted above. It carries registration no. 23 BK 53, and is preserved at IWM Duxford.

 

Hanno

Edited April 16, 2009 by mcspool

[fv1609]

23 BK 53 was struck off on 14/6/67 & sold for £75. It was used as an ACV as can be hinted at by the table. Although it was FFW you can see from the antenna bases it was never converted to FFR.

 

In the link some of the museum commentaries were interesting.

 

It was good to see pigs being dated from 1956 which is correct, so often pigs are claimed to date from 1952/3/4/5 which is nonsense.

 

I would disagree that pigs were retired in 1963. Although a lot were disposed of in the late 1960s, EMERs were still being issued up until the end of 1969.

[AlienFTM]

My pleasure Clive, and thanks for ID'ing it.

 

Are any Pigs left in the "Cyprus configuration" (for lack of a better term)? Is this survivor representative for the type in service at that time and place ?

 

It must have been in the pre-UN white colour scheme. That is how I remember the British military vehicles on the island in the early 1970s.

 

- Hanno

 

Anything pre-1974 would certainly be pre-UN white.

 

History lesson.

 

The main drag from Nicosia to Larnaca passes south of the Turks' furthest advance in their eastern pincer around Nicosia.The direct route from Nicosia to Larnaca (B17 /E201) was cut by this advance between Pyrol and east of Louroujina. During my time in UNFICYP we always took the direct road and passed through a number of checkpoints. As you get closer to Larnaca (Live Maps suggests in the area of Avdhellero) there is a long straight north / south stretch which passes just east of a line of hills surmounted by Turkish-manned forts which delineate the border. In the middle of this straight, just north of the junction of the B17 and the B2, there is a right / left kink in the road. The stretch of B17 between the junction of the B2 and the first checkpoint was designated No Stopping. The road within North Cyprus was obviously out of bounds to civilian traffic: UN traffic was allowed to use it but we were checked in and out of North Cyprus.

 

I am fairly confident at having identified the correct spot.

 

At some point between the war in 1974 and B Sqn 15/19th Hussars' arrival as UNFICYP Force Reserve Squadron in September 1976, a "military" "jeep" was seen travelling this stretch and Turkish jets attacked it, with napalm. The "military jeep" was in fact a UN Australian Civilian Police contingent (AustCivPol) vehicle, obviously containing Australian civilian policemen. All three died horribly in the attack.

 

One of our troop's first tasks on arrival in theatre was to visit some SMG ranges somewhere between Larnaca and Dhekelia to zero our SMGs. (Maybe Bazz can confirm 3rd Troop did likewise about that time?) We travelled in a Sherpa minibus and got the lecture about Greek / Turkish zones and no stopping. as we passed this kink in the road, there for all to see was a stone cairn topped with three UN blue helmets to commemorate the deaths of the three Aussies. We then got the lecture that it was this incident which led directly and immediately to the UN painting all its vehicles gloss white to avoid a repeat of this tragic accident.

 

As it happens, we rolled up to the range and found that whatever logistical support it was we were supposed to have had, we didn't get. After getting off the bus and hanging around waiting (as is entirely normal in the armed forces), we got back on the bus and headed off back to Nicosia. We passed by the cairn in the no-stopping zone ... and stopped. The Sherpa had overheated.

 

Still pink from our recent arrival, there was an air of tight sphincters as we sat and waited and watched for activity in the forts on the hilltops to our left. Then we saw a figure leave the fort and wondered just how deep we were in the brown stuff. The figure got ever closer until he hopped aboard, held out his hand and demanded ... "Ceegarette?"

 

That this man had crossed into the Greek Zone in the vain hope of blagging a fag demonstrates quite amply the poor conditions of the Turkish conscripts manning the forts. In fact one of our lads handed him a packet and he yomped straight back up the hill as fast as he had come down it, driven no doubt by his major prize.