Cyprus '74 - The Sapper Story | Canadian Military Engineers

“Peacekeeping is not a soldier's job, but only a soldier can do it.”

This is the first in an evolving series of stories about 1 Airborne Field Squadron during the 1974 Turkish Intervention in Cyprus in July and August 1974.

Background

In late 1962, increasing inter-communal fighting between Turkish and Greek Cypriots threatened peace in the newly formed Republic. The United Nations and NATO both wanted to bring calm to the island, but the Greek Cypriot population actively refused to accept any interference from outside. The UN had become deadlocked over questions of the cost and the membership of any peacekeeping force. In early March 1963, Turkey issued an ultimatum demanding a resolution to the crisis.

On the diplomatic front, Canada’s Secretary of State for External Affairs Paul Martin Sr. successfully led a campaign to gather like-minded countries, notably Britain, Canada, Ireland and Sweden who would participate in a UN force. On 13 March, UN Secretary-General U Thant announced that a UN force would be established consisting of these nations, along with possible commitments from Finland and Austria.

Canada was a major contributor and the RCAF began airlifting troops within weeks with the Royal Canadian Navy bringing over vehicles, equipment and stores for a battalion-sized force including an armoured car squadron, about 900 soldiers in all. Once UNFICYP was on the ground, and fighting was kept in abeyance, troops from contributing countries deployed to areas of responsibility across the island. The Canadian Contingent (CANCON) was assigned the city of Nicosia, the surrounding village enclaves and the areas northwest and northeast of the city. A key role was convoy protection along the Nicosia-Kyrenia Highway to maintain freedom of movement for Greek and Turk Cypriots through contested zones.

The situation remained stable until 1974 when a coup d’état by the Greek-led Cypriot National Guard overthrew the elected government. Within days, Turkish troops landed on the island by sea and air invoking the Treaty of Guarantee, which permitted the three guaranteeing powers (Britain, Greece and Turkey) to intervene in the case of a constitutional crisis. This treaty is part of the Treaty of Nicosia concerning the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus. The parties undertake to guarantee the independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus, and not to promote the union of Cyprus with other states or partition of the Island.

At the time, troops from the Canadian Airborne Regiment made up the CANCON component in UNFICYP. Their area of responsibility was still roughly that of the initial Canadian deployment in 1964, although in a reduced role. The situation would have garnered little international attention except that the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on the island were supported by Greece and Turkey; both of which were NATO allies.

The Sapper Role in UNFICYP over the Mission

Engineers of all trades have been part of every Cyprus rotation from the beginning of the mission, either in construction engineering roles in CANCON, as key staff officers in UNFICYP HQ, or on the line as infantry. Every contingent has had construction engineers in its Logistics company to carry out maintenance and minor construction in the Canadian Contingent (CANCON) facilities. When CANCON is built around Armoured or Artillery units, field engineers augment their pioneer platoons along with construction engineers. Special technical assistance visits (TAVs) and individual units were sent occasionally to carry out special tasks across the island.

For example, immediately following the completion of the Airborne deployment, the 3^rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, brought a reinforced field troop from 1 Field Squadron in Petawawa to provide significant support to their deployment. These sappers immediately started their work to restore and render safe CANCON facilities in and around Blue Beret Camp, Observation Posts and the grounds of Wolseley Barracks at the Ledra Palace Hotel. During the 1980-81 deployment of 5^e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada, an engineer field troop manned a number of Observation Posts(Ops) in the city. Later in 1983, a composite troop of field engineers and heavy equipment operators from 5^e Régiment du Génie de combat from Valcartier was tasked to make extensive repairs and build a bridge on the patrol track in the Danish Sector. Op GREY BEARD was carried out under the command of then-Lt Dan Benjamin, our current Colonel-Commandant.

The Coup and the Turkish Intervention

Sappers from 1 Airborne Field Squadron (1 AB Fd Sqn) – 58 officers and men in all, deployed with the Canadian Airborne Regiment’s 1^e Commando Group. The AB Fd Sqn’s CO, Major Dave Harries, was appointed Officer Commanding the CANCON Logistics Company and CANCON Base Commander. Captain George Wesko was OC CANCON Pioneer Platoon which included the Diving Section. He deployed the Diving Section as the CANCON HQ Defence & Employment Section working out of Wolseley Barracks with the prime task of securing the 1^e Commando HQ. Other members of the squadron took on liaison and duty officer positions in CANCON and UNFICYP HQ. As well, Logistics Company responsibilities included the supervision of both UN Turkish and Greek civilians and all engineer tradesmen working in the camps.

The Canadian Airborne Regiment’s tour in 1974 was initially expected to be an idyllic relaxed summer tour. For the first four months, these expectations played out as anticipated. But all that changed with the coup and the subsequent Turkish Intervention in July. Engineer tasks during the first part of the mission were generally routine, but when the bullets started to fly and bombs started to fall, things changed. The next weeks were an excellent example of how traditional engineer roles were fulfilled in operations, and under fire. New tasks included route reconnaissance and clearance; minefield definition, fencing and clearance; explosive ordnance disposal; and construction of facilities and services; convoy and escort tasks; firefighting; and the construction of observation posts, ammunition bunkers and defensive positions. At the height of the fighting, they took on the role of infantry in the defense of Nicosia International Airport.

The Stories

For the most part, the Engineer contribution during the Airborne regiment’s tour remains untold. Over the past few months, Lieutenant-Colonel Doug Foreman has dug into the war diaries, read dozens of articles, and interviewed many of the veterans of those days. What will follow over the next few weeks will be a series of firsthand accounts that illustrate the bravery, professionalism and accomplishments of our Airborne Sappers during that tremulous time. Photographs taken by those who were there illustrate the stories.

This story will continue. It will be presented in two parts, covering two significant events in which the Sappers played a leading role. The first is the story of two divers, separated from their unit for the first seven days of the intervention and working on their initiative likely saved dozens if not hundreds of civilians trapped ‘behind enemy lines’. The second will describe actions in the Nicosia area, especially at the airport in which sappers played a significant role.

References:

The Maroon Beret Magazine January 1975

Burtch, Andrew, Tact, diplomacy and an infinite store of patience Cyprus and Canadian Peacekeeping, Canadian Military History 19, 2 (2010)

Brooke, Malcolm, The History of the Nicosia Airport, Photos used with permission

Foreman, LCol D.J.J (Ret'd), Notes prepared from interviews in preparation for the Cyprus Pilgrimage November 2024

Kielstra, David A, Taking Care of Business: Canada’s Forgotten Cold War Conflict in Cyprus, July-August, 1974, Journal of Military and Strategic Studies, Volume 12, Issue 1, Fall 2009

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