EOKA, AKOE, ICO and CROMWELL fight THE BATTLE OF THE LEAFLETS

By
David Carter

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COLONEL Grivas was a prolific writer of leaflets throughout the EOKA conflict. They were poorly typed, mimeographed and distributed throughout Cyprus. They were usually in the Greek language and warned the local people to behave in ways he had decided or they could face his wrath: punishment beatings and death.

The first EOKA leaflet from Grivas was distributed on 1 April 1955 to announce the start of the war for enosis.

Often the leaflets were declarations of his next moves in the four-year conflict for union with Greece - which was vigorously opposed by the Turkish Cypriots and the British authorities. Before long, the Turks formed the TMT, their underground organization to counter EOKA and began publishing their own strongly worded pamphlets.

The early TMT leaflets told EOKA that the Turks would never agree enosis and talked about the partition of Cyprus.

When Britain and France began planning Operation Musketeer after President Nasser of Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal in July 1956, Grivas released a leaflet addressed to the French troops in their own language on their arrival in Cyprus. He promised EOKA would not attack them unless they joined British troops in actions against his terrorist gangs. As a result, they were able tour the Island and visit places of entertainment free of danger.

The one and only Grivas leaflet written in French.

If the EOKA and TMT leaflets were not enough to make the Island's population spin in fear and confusion, a third-type found its way on to the streets of Nicosia. It purported to come from a new underground organization called 'AKOE', the EOKA acronym in reverse, and was supposed to stand for the 'Anti-Killers Organization of Expatriates'.

The first AKOE leaflet to be distributed in Nicosia.

It was typed in block letters, cyclostyled and said:

CALLING ALL BRITONS
DO NOT BUY FROM GREEKS
IF YOU GIVE MONEY TO A GREEK YOU ARE GIVING SUPPORT TO EOKA
DO NOT ENTER A SHOP WITH A GREEK NAME
CHANGE YOUR STALL AT THE MARKET
SUPPORT THE PRO BRITISH MINORITIES
BOYCOTT GREEK SHOPS - BUY BRITISH

- AKOE

A second AKOE leaflet followed:

EXPATRIATES, what are you doing about it?

One hundred and six of your comrades, husbands, sons and brothers have been murdered - shot in the back - by EOKA's dastard (sic) gunmen.

No Greek Cypriot, be it barman or businessman, chemist or café proprietor, hairdresser or hotel keeper, sewing girl or shopkeeper, has ever 'seen' an expatriate murdered, even when the outrage was perpetrated in broad daylight and in a crowded street. This proves the contention that of Dr DERVIS, Mayor of NICOSIA, that all Greek Cypriots are EOKA. Why not take the Doctor at his word?

The braggart GRIVAS and his EOKA poltroons have threatened the Government with 'total war'. Why not take them at their word too?

In war 'trading with the enemy' is a crime. Government cannot be expected to pass the requisite legislation, but YOU and your friends can stop dealing with Greek Cypriot shops, firms or establishments and give your custom to Moslems, Maronites, Armenians or expatriates, and as far as possible refrain from buying goods manufactured by Greek Cypriots. In this way you can hit back at these gutless yellow-bellies in the place where it hurts them most - their pockets.

'Anti-Killer' Organisation of Expatriates

Please read this and pass it on to a friend of BRITAIN.

It seemed whoever was behind this anti-EOKA outburst did not realize that AKOE also stood for Apeleftherotiko Kinima Omofilofilon Elladas or 'Greek Homosexual Liberation Movement'.

GOVERNMENT House was not quite sure how to react. On 9 May, Mr. K J Mills sent a copy of the clandestine document to Mr. A S Aldridge at the Colonial Office with the comment: 'We have no knowledge of origin of this leaflet and although vigorous enquiries are being pursued no information has been obtained. I will of course do everything possible to put a stop to this damaging nonsense.'

The administration may have called it 'nonsense', but the Greeks and Greek Cypriots took AKOE very seriously, especially when it produced a poorly written Greek language version, which was equally badly translated back into English as follows:

Because of the request that we change our name we have accepted the recommendation of the true friends of Cyprus that hate the EOKA and what it represents. From now on, we adopt the simple title 'the Anti-EOKA'.

This name includes everyone who is on the island and understands and comprehends the damage caused by EOKA and openly or secretly hates EOKA. The AKOE was created because there was a need to publish our beliefs and we did publish them. Our aim is not to cause villainy as some people claim. We only want to make the population understand that when they use Cypriot products, buy from Greek shops, visit Greek cafes and restaurants, or fill up with petrol from Greek service stations etc., they put money in the hands of Greeks that were been unable to resist EOKA because of their threats of violence.

We are all Anti-EOKAs. We love peace. We do not believe in the use of military force for the achievement of our aims. We do not believe in the use of any form of violence. We warn all our members that we are opposed in any action, which would lower us to the level of EOKA.

Our aim is to unite everyone opposed to EOKA and for this reason we believe that the use of name 'expatriates' is a mistake because the majority of the men of Anti-EOKA are not expatriates. For this reason, we are pleased to accept in our organization all the peaceful Cypriots, even if they are Orthodox, or Mohammedans, or Armenian, or Maronites and of course every member of the British Empire.

We also seek the complete boycott of all the shops from which English-language signs were removed. If you do not see the name of a shop, bar, cafe or hotel written in English, the householder of this shop is a collaborator of the EOKA and he should be boycotted.

The Anti-EOKA

BEFORE long, the Athens press was giving credit to the organization for causing the Greek Cypriots all sorts of pain.

One report stated: 'The explosion of a bomb early this morning in the garden of the Kykkos Monastery, outside Nicosia, was to the caused by the "secret British organization AKOE". The bomb caused no injuries or damage to property. Greek Cypriots have said that the letters AKOE were found daubed on the walls of the monastery about 20 yards from the site of the explosion, just half a mile from the Government House.'

AFTER AKOE came the ICO and 'Cromwell', both claiming to be movements out to undermine EOKA. ICO, which was said to stand for 'Immediate Counter Offensive', produced only one leaflet. 'The only thing we can say is that it was in no way inspired by us,' laughed a spokesman for the colonial administration.

The latest 'British organization' threatened force. 'Bringing offenders to Court is no good any more,' ICO said. 'The only way to deal with Greeks was 'to make this race fear the security forces.' The Security Forces 'should not stand round like sheep and watch your comrades slaughtered. Retaliate and make the Government realize that sterner methods are needed when dealing with savages. The Greeks will be intimidated by our members, whenever the opportunity presents itself. This will make some stubborn Greeks realize that terrorism is not a game. We have so far all tried, soldiers, police, expatriates alike to put an end to violence and intimidation with the minimum of force and with politeness. This method apparently does not work. It seems the only thing Greek people understand is force.'

There were now three anti-EOKA groups - or individuals - claiming to represent groups of Britons, civilian and military, prepared to take the law into their hands. They urged the British community to attack the terrorists without mercy and to buy only British products, a response to the EOKA-ordered boycott of British products. Of all, 'Cromwell' became the best known and the most militant in its output.

The first Cromwell leaflet to announce the anti-EOKA organization's formation.

Copying the Dighenis-style, the 'Cromwell' signature was supposed to represent 'the Leader'. The name had been adopted from the original Oliver Cromwell, who Thomas Carlyle called the 'last strong man' to govern England after he had launched war against the monarchy and deposed and executed King Charles I. He considered himself a patriot, as did the 'Cromwell' of Cyprus, who believed that Sir Hugh Foot, the Governor, was not doing enough to end EOKA. For 'Cromwell', this meant taking Grivas head-on, using the Colonel's ways and means to intimidate his active and passive followers.

For every Briton killed, 'Cromwell' demanded swift retribution by killing two or more Greeks in cold blood. If Grivas bombed a British establishment, he wanted the equivalent amount of Greek property destroyed. Greeks, he said, would have to make a choice between the forces of law and order and those who demanded enosis and the end of colonial rule. Once he set his organization's 'Ironsides' loose, his brand of terror would be more fearful than EOKA's, he claimed.

'Cromwell' acquired an inflated reputation as soon as the Greek Foreign Minister accused this 'vigilante group' of consisting of British soldiers and policemen, who 'indulge in criminal activities against Cypriots with full immunity'.

Grivas read the 'Cromwell' leaflets and responded with another of his own. In it, he threatened to murder British women and children. He claimed: 'In the past we have behaved chivalrously, striking only at British men in the armed forces and intelligence services.

'But the advent of Cromwell relieves us of the duty of discrimination. We now declare that if the Cromwell group attacks Cypriots, we shall strike at any Briton, anywhere, any time without discrimination.'

Grivas neglected to mention that EOKA had already murdered to British women and several Greek Cypriot females had been victims as well of his terrorist activities.

Memo of from the Governor informing Whitehall of the existence of 'Cromwell'

The Governor and his staff were unanimous that 'Cromwell' and the others had to be stopped to avoid total chaos in the Island. Senior military commanders came to a similar conclusion, but there was no evidence that any of them had done more than distribute a few leaflets in city centers.

Many junior servicemen, however, wished 'Cromwell' every success. They had lost friends and seen EOKA's terrorism at first hand. They were not in a conciliatory mood. They were convinced they could beat Grivas and his men, given half a chance. Many in the officer corps thought Foot was 'too soft' and 'a wishy-washy liberal'. Over drinks in the bar of Nicosia's Ledra Palace hotel, others speculated that 'Cromwell', AKOE and ICO were part of a 'black' psychological operation created by the Intelligence community.

Unconnected to MI5 and MI6, Army intelligence officers investigated and, not surprisingly, found British soldiers were in league with 'Cromwell'. They had duplicated his pamphlets on military machines and scattered them while on patrol.

Worse, some had provided arms and ammunition to expatriates, according to unproven reports. If those behind 'Cromwell' and ICO were discovered, their names have never been revealed. Whether they belonged to the Security Forces or were determined civilians, their identities remained secret - except, perhaps, to the intelligence services.

Strong rumors existed, however, that 'Cromwell' was the creation of someone in the Royal Horse Guards because the regiment could trace its origins back to a force raised by the original Cromwell prior to the invasion of Scotland in the 17th century. General Roy Redgrave, a major at the time, dismissed this theory.

AKOE, on the other hand, was definitely the creation of one man, a corporal in the Royal Signals, it was said. In late 1958, he was caught distributing AKOE leaflets and court-martialed. His case raised serious questions in Parliament.

The corporal was 22-year-old Brian Ford, married with a three-month old baby. He was serving with Cyprus District Signal Regiment at Kykko West Camp, near Nicosia. Standing smartly to attention, he pleaded guilty to duplicating the leaflets, as charged, but never admitted to creating AKOE.

'The whole thing was a practical joke rather than anything else,' Ford said. 'I realize now it was irresponsible and foolish. I am sorry.' His counsel, a Captain Williams, told the court that the accused had served in Cyprus for more than two years during which he had been involved three times in terrorist incidents and barely escaped death in an EOKA ambush in Ledra Street.

Recently, he added, EOKA had threatened to burn down his family house in Trichonas village and kill his wife and baby. It was against this background that Ford believed he should counter EOKA's leaflet campaign with one of his own. Ford's defense cut no ice with the judges. When sentence was passed Ford's face went ashen and he shook visibly as he was marched away.

A few weeks later, Christopher Soames, the Secretary of State for War, was pressed in the House of Commons by members of all Parties to explain why Ford had been sentenced to nine months' imprisonment when Greek Cypriots were merely fined a few pounds for distributing EOKA material.

Mr. Soames gave a dusty reply: 'Ford was convicted after pleading guilty to distributing leaflets inviting members of the Forces to intimidate Greeks with violence. The leaflets also accused a judge of being on the pay roll of EOKA.

'Ford was sentenced to nine months' and reduced to the ranks. The sentence was first reduced and then remitted on review, In view of the offence he was not harshly treated... The remarkable record of our troops in Cyprus is itself a tribute to the high standard of discipline in the Forces, and it would be fatal for that discipline if we created the impression among servicemen that they could disobey orders or break military law during the process of emergency, in the expectation of having convictions set aside by an amnesty at the end.'

The row in the House of Commons was heard in Cyprus, where the C-in-C MELF then waived Ford's sentence altogether and he was released to rejoin his wife in the UK.

The tented Kykko Camp near Nicosia.

To prevent off-duty troops from being 'executed' by EOKA's assassination teams in the Island's towns, the authorities imposed severe restrictions on their movements.

A typical canteen menu available in camp.

The same grub served up - again

DISGRUNTLED troops confined to camp - except on duty - living in poor conditions, eating the same food and short of entertainment, wondered why they were in Cyprus wasting the best years of their lives, were frustrated and sometimes acted in impropriate ways.

'Nothing was ever explained to us as to why we were there - we were just sent and told what to do,' said Geoffrey Saunders, a National Service corporal, who served with the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry. 'There was no lecturing as to what the EOKA terrorist was all about, and why he wanted union with Greece or why the Turks wanted their section of the Island. Nothing was actually explained, so there was no political side to it at all. You were paid X amount a week for the job you were doing for the British Army.'

To relieve their boredom some soldiers began churning out other specious papers to the annoyance of senior officers. Len Staniforth, a Pay Corps clerk attached to the Royal Signals in Famagusta, said his team put together a spoof document to tease National Service conscripts who were thinking of joining the regulars. It was headed ORAEL - the Other Ranks Anti-Establishment League - and threatened them with more drill and duties, inspections and the painting of white stones on the edge of the parade ground. Came the time to choose a name for 'The Leader' to sign, Staniforth wrote 'J Other Rank'.

'When the leaflet was copied and distributed, the shit hit the fan,' he told the author. 'I was arrested and charged with Mutiny and Sedition, under Section 6 of the Army Act. The charge was extremely severe because our CO had an antipathy towards the Pay Corps caused by the misdeeds of my predecessor and a lady related to the aforementioned officer.

'My defending officer at my subsequent Court Martial was Captain The Honorable James Clyde of the Intelligence Corps with a Law degree. Between us, we gathered a number of other leaflets produced by various other local units. One, I recall, was headed LEKA - written in Greek and standing for "Piss on Greeks". After some discussion, the charge was reduced to "Conduct Contrary to Good Order and Prejudicial to Discipline" and I got off with "a severe reprimand". Then I re-enlisted in the Army!'

Before his death, Owen Kitchener, a Royal Artillery sergeant in Cyprus, also remembered the humor the troops enjoyed at EOKA's expense. He said: 'When we patrolled villages, we saw fresh graffiti on walls, put there by EOKA as a warning to the villagers not to cooperate with the Security Forces. Often one of us would sneak in and write on the wall, "HAVE NO FEAR KILROY WAS HERE. WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU" or "CROMWELL WILL GET YOU". Quite frankly, we thought "Cromwell" was just a 'Kilroy' look alike or a Turkish Cypriot hoax.'

If EOKA could deface walls and road signs with its demands for union with Greece, so could an unknown soldier on patrol in the Troodos leave his mark on a Greek Cypriot monument.

In 2009, 50 years after the end of the EOKA conflict, nobody has come forward still to admit they belonged to any of these irregular anti-terrorist groups. Who wrote their leaflets remains a mystery.

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