Cyprus Truce Force - December 1963-March 1964
By Andrew Thornton

  British Army Units deployed as Truce Force in Cyprus ­ December 1963 - March 1964

Resident Units:

1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment based at Episkopi SBA
Deployed to Nicosia 26th December 1963
Returned to Episkopi SBA in February 1964

3rd Battalion, The Green Jackets (Rifle Brigade) based at Dhekelia SBA
Deployed to Larnaca 24th December 1963
Rifleman Gordon Baldwin shot dead in Larnaca on 24th December
Redeployed to Nicosia 29th December 1963
Returned to Dhekelia SBA in February 1964

33rd Field Squadron, Royal Engineers based at Dhekelia SBA
Deployed to Nicosia 29th December 1963 in infantry role u/c 3rd Battalion Green Jackets

Reinforcements:

C Squadron, 14th/20th King’s Hussars based at Benghazi as an Airportable Squadron
Arrived 26th December 1963
Deployed in Nicosia and Northern Cyprus (“The Panhandle”)
Returned to Libya 26th January 1964

1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters based at Colchester as part of 19th Airportable Brigade, 3rd Division
Arrived 27th December 1963
Relieved 3rd Battalion Green Jackets in Larnaca
B Company u/c The Life Guards in Limmasol during February 1964
Remained in Larnaca area and transferred to UN command on 22nd March 1964

2nd Light Regiment, Royal Artillery based at Colchester as part of 19th Airportable Brigade, 3rd Division
Arrived 27th December 1963
Deployed to Episkopi SBA
Moved to Nicosia in January 1964 with one battery deployed around Limmasol during February u/c The Life Guards
Relieved by 1st Battalion Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment 2nd March 1964
Returned to Nicosia 22nd March 1964 under UN command

1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment based at Aldershot as part of 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group
Arrived 28th December 1963
Deployed to Dhekelia SBA
Moved to Nicosia in January 1964
Transferred to UN command on 22nd March 1964

16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group based at Aldershot
GOC ­ Brigadier Roland Gibbs DSO MC
Arrived 28th December 1963
16th Parachute Brigade Group deployed in and around Nicosia in January 1964
In operational control of Northern Sector (Nicosia, Kyrenia and “The Panhandle”) from February 1964.
Transferred to UN command 22nd March 1964.
Left for United Kingdom in May 1964 after handing over to a Canadian Brigade Headquarters.

Brigade Units deployed:
HQ 16th Parachute Brigade Group
216 Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals
1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment, with G (Mercer’s Troop) Light Parachute Battery, Royal Horse Artillery u/c
1st (Guards) Independent Parachute Company
21 Recce Flight, Army Air Corps
9th Independent Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers
23rd Parachute Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
16th Ordnance Field Park, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
16th Parachute Workshops, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
63rd Parachute Company, Royal Army Service Corps
16th Parachute Brigade Provost Section

The Life Guards based at Windsor as part of 3rd Division C Squadron
Arrived 28th January 1964
Deployed to Camp Elizabeth at Nicosia u/c 16th Para Brigade Group
1 Troop detailed to patrol Northern Cyprus, 1 Troop u/c 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment in Nicosia
RHQ, HQ and A Squadrons
Arrived early February 1964
Deployed to Polimidhia Camp, Limmasol
A Squadron moved to Zyyi Camp u/c 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Transferred to UN command 22nd March 1964

The Royal Dragoons based at Tidworth as part of 3rd Division
C Squadron, Reconnaissance Troop and Echelon
Arrived 4th February 1964
Deployed to Ktima
A Squadron
Arrived during third week of February and deployed initially to Dhekelia SBA u/c
The Life Guards, then moved to Ktima and joined C Squadron at Waterloo Camp.
Left Cyprus in April 1964.

1st Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment based on Malta
Arrived 9th April 1964
Deployed at Nicosia Airport
Relieved 2nd Light Regiment R.A. in Nicosia on 2nd March 1964 ­ A Company remained at Airport
Relieved on 22nd March 1964 by United Nations troops (2nd Light Regiment R.A. and Royal 22nd Regiment (Canadians)).
Moved to Dhekelia on 27th March and returned to Malta on 1st April.

1st Battalion, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers based at Gravesend as part of 19th Airportable Brigade, 3rd Division
Arrived February 1964.
Deployed to Famagusta.
Transferred to UN command 22nd March 1964.

26th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery based at Shoeburyness as part of 3rd Division
Arrived February 1964.
Deployed to Paphos and Polis.
Transferred to UN command 22nd March 1964.

Headquarters 3rd Division based at Bulford
GOC ­ Major-General Michael Carver DSO MC
Arrived 14th February 1964.
Deployed to Dhekelia SBA.
Operational from 19th February 1964.
Had operational command of Eastern Zone (Dhekelia, Larnaca and Famagusta) from February 1964.
Transferred to UN command 22nd March 1964.
Returned to United Kingdom in August 1964.

Headquarters Royal Artillery 3rd Division based at Bulford
Arrived February 1964.
Had operational command of Western Zone (Episkopi and Paphos) from February 1964.
Transferred to UN command 22nd March 1964.
Returned to United Kingdom in July 1964 on handing over control to a Swedish Brigade Headquarters.