Cypriots in World War 2

dobbo



Joined: 13/06/2007
Posts: 72

Message Posted:
12/11/2008 22:44

I was reading an article in the Famagusta Gazette today. Apparently 30,000 Cypriots served in the British Regiment in WW2 with 600 killed in action I presume there would be Greek and Turkish Cypriots fighting together with the British or as I think Turkey was neutral in the war did the Turkish Cypriots stay neutral.



If the GCs and the TCs did fight together in the war it seems hard to believe that they could end up fighting each other a few years later.

andre 514


Joined: 31/03/2008
Posts: 1163

Message Posted:
13/11/2008 02:49

dobbo,



it would seem unlikely turkish cypriots had a legal responsibility

to turkey, since the island had long been under british control



as regards being trained and fighting together:



it is noteworthy that idi amin was a sergeant in the kings east african rifles

but later became a bitter opponent of britain

orde wingate trained settlers in palestine during the 1930's,

while glubb "pasha" was military adviser to king hussein in the early 1950's

irish republican elements gained experience in the trenches1914-1918

russia was a fighting ally of england and america in ww1 and ww2

but after both wars became a determined military rival for many years

america armed and financed the mujahadin in afganistan via pakistan

and now struggle for control with some of their descendants the taliban

there are countless other examples...



util the russia-georgia conflict in august it was said that

two countries that both had macdonalds restaurants could ever fight a war



andre

tonyanita



Joined: 13/02/2007
Posts: 25

Message Posted:
16/11/2008 13:07

Turkish and Greek Cypriots were in a regiment in the British army - the Cyprus Regiment. If you are interested why not Google it? There was an article in the Cyprus Observer a few weeks ago about them and their graves in Greece.

good hunting

tonyanita