Cyprus Commando

Here is the The Lusignan Coat of Arms a Cypriot Dynasty at the time of the Crusades.

The Lusignan Lion appears on many public buildings still.

I, too, would be interested to see a cap badge.

Nick

Compare the immodest Lusignan Lion with other Cypriot cap badges:

Cyprus Regiment is Kings Crown

Cyprus Police is Queens Crown

Nick

This, I'm led to believe, is the cap badge of the Cyprus Home Guard

Hi

Is there any connection between the named officers and the commando's,on my small growing list of names units etc I cannot trace any of them.

Graham

Hello Graham / NIC
Thanks Graham for the Private Message - I will pass your appreciation on to George.
NIC - Yes I had seen the Cyprus Reg badge previously, but not the others. Having seen the Lusignian Coat of Arms shows the lion rampant I wonder which pattern/stance the Cyprus Commando badge was. It would be good to find a photograph for sure, better still an example of the badge.
Graham - I am not sure what list you are trying to cross reference but my feelings are that the Cyprus Commando volunteers would not form part of any British 'Special Service Brigade' rosta, and would fall outside the control of our Combined Operations Command.
Regards
Mike

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 27/01/2013 12:32:49

Mike,
There is a very confusing mix when it comes to the lions on these badges -

Lusignan Lion - rampard
Cyprus Regt - passant guardant
Cyprus Police - statant guardant
Cyprus Home Guard - passant guardant

so it's anyone's guess what form the lion on the Cyprus Commando would take...

Nick

I have found a reference to 12 volunteers from 7 Commando who were sent to Cyprus as 'The Pencil Party'.
With the fear of imminent invasion their role was to conceal themseves around Nicosia and to destroy as many many enemy aircraft as they could if the Germans effected a landing before making if possible their own escape.
By the time they arrived on the island 11 (Scottish) Commando had just returned from Operation Exporter and retook up their garrison duties leaving the men from 7 Commando no longer required. They were though retained on the island, could these then be some of the men who helped to train the Cyprus Commando'?
Alan.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 26/04/2013 01:05:11

Alan
That is a very interesting insight! ... Do you have any dates at all? or can you recall the source? It is interesting to try and piece all this together.
Mike

Hi Mike,
the source is 'Memorandum on Layforce' by Evelyn Waugh which can be found in his Diaries. The dates can only be very late may to early June of 1941. I have been trying to piece together the life of Layforce and 7,8,11 and 50/52 Commando which is now pretty much completed this bit was the last that i came across.
Alan.

An interesting fact:

CY/1381, Panayis Liassi Georghi VRONDI, of the Cyprus Regiment, was killed on Christmas Day in 1940, while serving with 51 ME Commando in North Africa.

Although details of his death are unknown, I have him listed as possibly the first Commando to be actually killed in action.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2114366/VRONDI,%20PANAYIS%20LIASSI%20GEORGHI

Alan
Anything on Layforce is of particular interest to me as there is little 'consolidated' published information, though there are plenty on snip-its in various books as you suggest. The Official War Diaries also appear less complete for many of the Layforce units, and nominal rolls particularly thin. No doubt you have access to 'Special Forces in the Desert War 1940-1943' published by the National Archives - a very informative read! Are you planning a particular outcome - a book may be?
Thanks for the Evelyn Waugh Diary reference - I note it as paragraph 16 of the memorandum.

Geoff
That is very interesting - indeed we sometimes tend to overlook the early campaigns of the ME Cdos. Given the 'sequence' (and outcomes) for operations conducted by 'Home raised' commando units of: Collar (Boulogne Berek) 24/25 June 1940, Ambassador (Guernsey) 14/15 July 1940, Menace (Dakar) Aug/Sept 1940 and then, six months later, Claymore (Lofoten Islands) 4 March 1941 - I am sure you are correct in looking to ME Cdos for the earliest casualties. The veteran you mentioned must be a strong contender - unless someone knows something different (and ignoring training casualties on this occasion).

Regards
Mike

Hi Mike,
trying to piece Layforce together is a bit difficult due to as you say just snippets being on offer but the Special Forces in the Desert War 1940-1943 is a great help and a very good book indeed.
My dad once said about Layforce and i quote 'we were jiggered about' which i think aptly sums it up.
I have cobbled together an account of Layforce and the 4 Commandos involved but cobbled together is about the best description i could give on it, it contains nothing new just what is available the various books and extracts that i have from 11 Commandos war diary. 7 commandos war diary only i believe goes up to November 1940 or so the NA tells me and i've not seen 8 or 50/52's diaries either. Its really something that keeps my mind occupied as for it being a book well.. my old English teacher once wrote in his report regarding my efforts at essay's and composition as best to stick to postcards preferably short ones.
Regards,
Alan.

Alan
Thanks for this - You have probably heard the expression 'Never in the field of human endeavour have so few been buggered about by so many'. I think it sums it up!
Regards
Mike