Below the Radar - Cyprus Summer of '74

Chapter 33 : Crossroads (Bad Moon Rising)

Saturday 20th July 1974

Shortly after 8am on Saturday morning 20th July 1974, as Alex and his family woke to another beautiful sunny morning, Turkey invaded Cyprus.

Acting in response to the coup, which had been sponsored by the ruling military regime in Greece and led by Greek Army Officers, Turkey landed a significant force on the northern shores of the island near Kyrenia.

The bulk of Turkish Cypriots lived in the northern part of the island. The landing was made not far from Six Mile beach, a beautiful and popular beach known to all visitors to northern Cyprus and a location at which the Berresford family had regularly camped whilst exploring the rugged and mountainous pan handle of North East Cyprus.

It was at the café overlooking the wide bay at 6 mile beach that some years earlier the Berresfords had met one of the most revered of all living Englishmen – Sir Alf Ramsey. Having led England to World Cup glory in 1966 he was almost as much a hero to Don, Simon and Alex as the famous players of that football World Cup Winning team. He was up there with the two Bobby's, Jackie, Geoff, Gordon, Nobby and the rest of the team. Even Pip, who had only been two when England had beaten West Germany 4-2 when the final really was 'all over', could name the full England side that day. Alex could recall his dad approaching Sir Alf, who was sat with his lovely wife Vickie eating breakfast, and asking politely for his autograph whilst at the same time apologising for interrupting his morning cup of tea. Sir Alf, quiet and unassuming, had invited Don to take a seat and they had talked football for a few short minutes, whilst Alex and Simon quickly got their football out to demonstrate their skills on the hard baked ground that was the nearby car park.

If not already flattened, that beach and overlook would soon disappear, changed forever by the passage of hundreds of vehicles, tanks, heavy artillery and thousands of troops. There was no doubt that many of the Turkish Cypriots on the island felt they needed and deserved support. But this type of support could lead only to further division, conflict and greater loss of life. Like the sand of Six Mile beach, the peaceful ambitions of the majority of independently minded Cypriots were being trampled underfoot. Unfortunately such mundane considerations now seemed a distant hope behind posturing, bickering and strategic positioning by more powerful nations.

* * *

By 10am the Berresford's had received the call. The harried but diligent RAF Berengaria warden was circulating the camp with bullhorn and Landrover, putting all families on one hours' notice to leave. They were all being evacuated to RAF Episkopi.

Since early morning, increased small arms fire could be heard from Limassol but the gunfire seemed to creeping slowly closer and becoming less sporadic. The mood in the camp though sober and subdued remained calm until rocked by a huge explosion nearby. The blast shook the ground, quickly followed by the blooming of a threatening dark and billowing cloud a short distance east of the camp.

Looking up, Fran gasped before instinctively herding all the family together at the same time moving them towards the car. The previous level of caution and concern had been ratcheted up to a sense of immediate danger. In Fran's attempt to express this she became unusually tongue tied, unintentionally relieving the growing tension at the same time.

"Everyone, right now in the car. Come on quickly, quickly, oh my look ... Don ... that's not .. Don, Don quick ..... you know that's not just any cloud .... it's, it's more ... well it's, it's a huge nastiness cloud."

Don kept the kids moving towards the car but despite the situation they couldn't help but snigger and anyway, in their mind, there was always time to take the mick out of mum.