Below the Radar - Cyprus Summer of '74

Chapter 31 : Back to Troodos Camp (War)

Ten minutes later the Berresford's white Peugeot pulled out of the hotel car park, turning left towards the main road up to the top of Troodos and the Royal Air Force camp. It was an 11km drive up steep and winding roads, which would normally take the best part of half an hour.

Everyone was silent inside the. Eyes peering out of every window, they headed toward the centre of Platres where the stillness in the car was matched by the eerie emptiness of the normally vibrant village centre. A lone village dog strolled casually along through the village square, taking himself for his normal afternoon walk, taking no notice of the car nor its occupants. Don reflexively slowed further in response to the strangeness of the moment.

Even the car seemed to hold its' breath as it purred gently, rolling slowly through the village and out the far side, eventually reaching a junction before taking the high road towards Troodos village. The journey upwards continued, punctuated only by the sounds of the forest and a single loud report, probably from a shotgun, reason unknown.

Twenty five minutes later they negotiated the final bend of the steep and sharply zig zagging seven sisters and drove into a deserted Troodos Village square. They had seen no other traffic on the drive and turned immediately right towards RAF Troodos camp, now only a few minutes away. Approaching the camp round a right hand bend and down a slight incline they could immediately see an abnormal level of activity and visible manpower. Several Landrovers and armed personnel, a combination of RAF Regiment and Military Police manned the normally empty guardhouse and open gates. The gates were now firmly closed, with two additional Landrovers parked diagonally some 20 yards in front of them.

An RAF Officer approached the vehicle after Don had stopped some twenty feet from the gates and had a quick and quiet discussion with Alex's dad. After a couple of brief questions and a glance at the four children in the back of the car, he gestured to the men on the gates. The gates were quickly opened and the Landrovers pulled back on either side. The Officer requested that Don leave the car in the large car park at the end of the football pitch to the left and make his way to the normal camp registration centre.

The family waited outside while Don sorted out the basic admin required to get them accommodation for the night at the hastily re-opened and now busy reception desk. A dozen or so families were already staying at the camp and more families were expected in the next hour or so, but the camp was only half full and had plenty of room, should it be required.

The wider situation on the island was still unclear. Nobody at the camp had much more information, though there was speculation they might need well need accommodation for more than one night's accommodation. No point dwelling on what might happen yet. First things first and Don had soon secured large tented accommodation for the whole family for at least one night. Having stayed at the camp before they knew the tents were actually robust semi-permanent thick canvas structures, built upon a solid concrete base with enough low wooden beds for all, including small bedside tables, wardrobes and storage trunks. Not that they had anything to store, having only the clothes they stood up in plus assorted towels.

They were lucky; if not in their own beds, they still had somewhere safe to sleep. Shortly, if not already, the simple notion of a peaceful nights' sleep would be banished for many of the people of Cyprus. An island and people slowly moving beyond the tragedy, unrest and division of previous decades was being brutally dragged back, the ramifications of the attempted coup as yet unknown.

As Alex and Simon walked up the gentle hill towards their tent, they glanced across at the solid low barrack blocks that was the scene of their brawl on the hike three months earlier. They kept moving and within thirty minutes the family had found their tent, chosen beds, settled in and packed what little they had with them away. With little else to do and evening drawing in, the family headed back to the main building on camp to get a meal. The large solid brick building acted as reception, restaurant, games room and also housed a cinema.