National Service

All matters military, militia, regiments and the like. Army, Navy, Air Force etc.

Moderators: Global Moderators, Pandabean

Post Reply
Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

National Service

Post by Orlaith17 » Wed Jul 06, 2016 9:41 pm

This is a bit of a long shot, but here goes. My late father did his national service in Cyprus from around 1954-1957. He got home leave at Christmas 1955, and I was born September 1956 :D . Dad finished his national service and came home in April 1956 when I was 7 months old. I know he was stationed in/around Polis. I have visited Cyprus and Polis several times, but of course the camp he would have used will be long gone. I wondered though if anyone else maybe had any information if a relative of theirs also did national service there. I would just love to visit the area near to where the camp was if possible. I do have a couple of old photos of dad there, but nothing stands out in the landscape at all. Only other kind of clue I have is Mum telling me dad told her that an area near where he was shared her name, Marion. I have managed to establish there is indeed a region named Marion, near Latchi, not gar from Polis......but that doesn't help :cry: Just wondered if anyone might have any information on national service camps in/around Polis in the mid 1950s?

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: National Service

Post by Orlaith17 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:27 pm

Hmmmm....starting to wonder if information is correct and dad was actually stationed in or around Polis, as only evidence I can find online of National Service in Cyprus at that time was Episkopi or Famagusta. Have tried various military information sites, but no joy :?

garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: National Service

Post by garibaldired » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:40 pm

Have you seen this:

http://www.rememberingscotlandatwar.org ... -emergency

There is a reference to the Black Watch being stationed in Polis in 1959.

Dig deeper! :D

Best wishes,
Meg

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: National Service

Post by Orlaith17 » Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:16 pm

Thanks for that. Some interesting reading there. Dad was in the Royal Artillery, and left Cyprus having finished his National Service in April 1957. Still digging to try to find anything about Royal Artillery in Polis 1954-1957

garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: National Service

Post by garibaldired » Wed Jul 13, 2016 6:50 pm

Reference here to Limni Camp, Polis in 1958

http://www.50missile.com/regiment-history/

and something here

http://www.theargylls.co.uk/paphos.php

I'm doing my best!
Have you thought of contacting the regimental museum? I've found them quite helpful in the past.

Best wishes,
Meg
Main family lines are Harpers from Midlothian, Fife & Kinross-shire, and Dobies/Dobbies from Midlothian. Also Strathearn, Stobie, Layden and Downie.

garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: National Service

Post by garibaldired » Wed Jul 13, 2016 6:52 pm

And what about this?

http://www.kmmvc.com/view-30565-5.html

Any more helpful?

Meg :)

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: National Service

Post by Orlaith17 » Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:54 pm

Thank you so much for your help. My husband had searched last night and found the reference to Limni. He had also seen reference to a copper and sulphur mine, and some reference to the camp being in that vicinity. The mine has not been operational since some time in the 1970s but we found its still there. So a journey today up a rough dirt track led us to a local workman pruning orange trees who showed us where the mine was. Obviously I didn't say what I was really there for, just made out we were looking for the mine. We got lots of pictures of the landscape around the mine area, and though I don't expect to ever find exactly where the actual camp was, I was at least closer than ever before. Intending to dig out some old pics of dad in Cyprus from my mother when home, and maybe use our photos of landscape to try to match shape of hills behind him in pics with those we took today. Will also contact the regiment to see if they have details....thank you again for your help.

jbwirow
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:38 pm

Re: National Service

Post by jbwirow » Mon Jul 03, 2017 7:46 pm

Hello, your searching in the wrong area for Limni Mine Camp, it wasn't around the area of the mine itself. I was there in 1957 with the 50th Medium Regt. Royal Artillery. Contact me and i will explain the site to you. I'm 80 years old now but can still remember my time there.

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: National Service

Post by Orlaith17 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:28 pm

Hi, and thank you so much for reply. I have just returned from a holiday in Cyprus, having again trudged round the Limni Mine area. I had a Private message from you before we went on holiday and replied, but my message wasn't picked up. I would so appreciate having more information about the exact location of the camp. Hope you will contact me directly or reply here to give me more information.

Orlaith17
Posts: 196
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:50 pm
Location: Highlands

Re: National Service

Post by Orlaith17 » Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:10 am

I have sent you a couple of private messages, jbwirow.

Post Reply