The Helicopter in Cyprus
The
Helicopter played a major role in the counter-insurgency war in Cyprus
during the latter half of the 1950s. Throughout most of the emergency,
helicopter support for the security force was provided by Bristol Sycamores
of No.284 Squadron, RAF. By 1958 the squadron had spent two years on the
island, and during 16,000 sorties had dropped 3,500 troops on terrorist
frequented countryside, trained 13,000 troops in the novel skill of scrambling
down ropes form helicopters, evacuated 200 casualties, and dropped 113
tons of ammunition, food and other supplies to troops on counter-insurgency
duties. there was a considerable amount of pioneering work in its, including
night flying, which was still a little used art in helicopter operation
at the time, and, at first unique to this squadron, the dropping of troops
in mountainous terrain and in forest, creating the need for troops to learn
to scramble down ropes, reducing the risk of rotor blades striking trees
or rocky outcrops.
One of 284 Squadron's more notable operations included that at the Makheras Monastery a terrorist hideout 3,000 feet up in the Trodo Mountains, some twenty miles south-west of Nicosia. It would have been difficult to mount this operation successfully without helicopters, five of which flew in forty troops to seal off the mountain roads while other troops moved in on the ground. Gregorious Afxenthiou, Chief of Staff to the EOKA terrorist organization's leader, Colonel George Grivas, was killed in the operation while other terrorists were captured.
No 284's operation in Cyprus also included fighting forest fires, search and rescue operations off the coast of the island. However, Sycamores of No.103 Squadron were involved in most of the air-sea rescue operations during the emergency.
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2002 James Paul & Martin Spirit. All rights reserved.
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