In search of Cyprus poppies

Thirty thousand Cypriots fought for the Allies during World War II.  Rather mystifying then that Cyprus does little to honour Remembrance Day, unlike other Commonwealth countries. 

The Cyprus Regiment (1940-1950) was created by the British Army following the invasion of Greece.  Conscription was not imposed on Cyprus, then under British colonial rule, but 6,000 Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots signed up voluntarily to support the Allied forces under British command.  More followed.  

Before the war ended, more than 30,000 Cypriots had served at Dunkirk, in the Battle of Greece, in North Africa, France, the Middle East, and Italy.  Many were captured and interned in German POW camps, including the notorious Stalag camps in German-occupied Eastern Europe and in Germany, where many died. 

In the post-war years, the Cyprus Regiment served in Cyprus and the Middle East, including Palestine. 

Why, then, is there not a poppy in sight on the lapels of Cypriots this week?  As for buying one in Cyprus, they're harder to find than a vegetarian at a souvla party. 

Perhaps Cyprus has enough economic woes without funding the Royal British Legion, but I see no reason why there can’t be an equivalent Cyprus Legion to honour those who gave up their lives in world war.  Even some non-Commonwealth countries honour this day, e.g. the US, where it’s called Veterans Day.  Cyprus didn’t get the memo. 

The poppy is a powerful universal symbol of wartime bloodshed.  Not only British blood.  Not just a British symbol.  The imagery was taken from the First World War poem In Flanders Fields (BTW, that’s in Belgium) written by Lt. Col. John McCrae (who was Canadian) but most importantly, we all bleed red.  Maybe some think theirs is an aristocratic blue? 

Just as it is important to remember all those who died in the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus – the symbol of the divided island dripping blood with the motto Δεν Ξεχνώ (Den Ksechno - I do not forget) is not so different from the poppy conceptually – so do all those who died in the line of duty deserve remembrance, lest we forget the horrors of war.

We shall remember them.

Remembrance Sunday Service for the Anglican community in Cyprus

St. Paul’s Cathedral, Nicosia

Sunday 10^th November 2013

9:30 a.m. 

All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. A time to get, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away.  A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time of love, and a time of hatred. A time of war, and a time of peace. -Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (D-R)