British Cyprus Memorial 2009

11/08/2009

On Armistice Sunday 2009 the British Cyprus Memorial Trust will unveil a Memorial to 371 British servicemen who died during the Cyprus Emergency (the EOKA Campaign) 1955-1959. Because of political sensitivities on the island these 371 members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, RAF,and Army who died during the campaign - the majority aged 21 or under - and who are buried at ’Wayne’s Keep’ in the U.N. controlled zone have never had a memorial erected in their memory. Now 50 years on a small goup of ex-service officers, including the UUP’s Ken Maginnis, has resolved to ensure that they are ’Not Forgotten’.
A dark-grey granite memorial will be unveiled in the British Cenetary in Kyrenia - it will, eventually, be moved to Wayne’s Keep if there is a political settlement. The Memorial, which will include several names of members of the Royal Ulster Rifles, will be a focal point for relatives who have, till now, been virtually unable to find any recognition of the sacrifice of their loved ones and who have difficulty in getting permission to visit the actual war graves.
This sacred duty to "Remember Them" is being financed by voluntary subscriptions (£150K is required) and the project has the full moral support of the Royal British Legion. We are grateful to the Ulster Unionist Party which, at its last Annual Conference, approved the project and unanimously voted to support it. Please send your contributions to UUP Party HQ (cheques should be made payable to the British Cyprus Memorial Trust).
Besides the Memorial, the Trust has also published names and details of those we remember on the web - they and other details can be found at: www.britishcyprusmemorial.org
In addition the Trust has just launched an online Memorial Book - www.cyprusmemorialbook.com - to which relatives and friends can add messages of their own in remembrance.
Thank you for your support.
Air Chief Marshall Sir Mike Graydon
British Cyprus Memorial Trust