WILTSHIRE REGIMENT OPERATIONS IN CYPRUS DURING THE EOKA CAMPAIGN, AND REGIMENTAL SCENES IN ENGLAND [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: WILTSHIRE REGIMENT OPERATIONS IN CYPRUS DURING THE EOKA CAMPAIGN, AND REGIMENTAL SCENES IN ENGLAND [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: MGH 6836
  • Other titles: AMATEUR FILM BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GEORGE WOOLNOUGH [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: Amateur film, with precise titles, shot by Lieutenant-Colonel George Woolnough MC, while serving with the Wiltshire Regiment and later when commanding 1st Battallion the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (1 DERR) covers security operations during the campaign by EOKA (National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) in the British colony of Cyprus between 1958 and 1959, and regimental ceremonies and exercises after the Regiment's return to the UK.
  • Description: Reel 1: [Labelled “IRAQ-BABYLON 1957-1958”] “ARABIAN DAYS. Photographed by George Woolnough, Pat McIver”. “To Babylon”. Scenes showing a tourist trip by car to the ruins of Babylon near Al-Hillah, Iraq, with humorous captions. Footage is light hearted, and includes scenes of people taking photographs and dancing in the ruins. “CYPRUS 3” “Cordon and search of Ayios Epiktitos, 25 September” (1958). Scenes in the village of Ayios Epiktitos in Northern Cyprus with members of B Company 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment plus 1 and 2 Companies of 3rd Battalion the Grenadier Guards. Soldiers on the streets with local Greeks (one soldier has a cigarette lit using a magnifying glass). “Inter Company Cricket Final B v HQ 1”. Scenes of the match and the spectators. “2nd Lt Cole encounters a mine near Lapithos”. (29 September) A wrecked jeep rests at the roadside outside Lapitos, its front torn apart by an EOKA landmine; it is inspected by British personnel. (According to an entry in George Woolnough’s diary, Second Lieutenant Cole was shaken but otherwise uninjured in the incident.) “The Duke of Edinburgh’s Competition 1958”. (25 September ?) ”Men of 1st Battalion take part in a summer biathlon. “Brigadier H Baker Baker, Comd 51 Inf Bde, comes to Aghirda”. (30 September) Brigadier Henry Conyers Baker-Baker arrives at Aghirda in a Bristol Sycamore helicopter. “The Battalion Rifle Meeting 31 Oct 1958”. Scenes of 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment at the shooting event. “Op Filtertip, Recce Group of the R W Kents leaves MILPOL”. (October/November 1958) Members of the Royal West Kent Regiment leave a military police base in Northern Cyprus and patrol through streets. Civilians (Turks ?) search ruins of destroyed houses. “Kyrenia on the evening after the curfew was raised”. (Not dated, possibly November 1958) General views in the harbour at Kyrenia. “Lady Foot comes to the Red Cross Bazaar”. (6 December 1958) Brief shot of the wife of Cyprus Governor Sir Hugh Foot arriving at a charity event. “Op ‘Dovetail’: D Coy sets out from Kalorka”. Shots of a camouflaged Sycamore helicopter flying overhead are followed by scenes showing members of D Company, 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment, make their way through the village of Kalorka. “Playing the R W Fusiliers at Kyrenia”. Sporting competitions between the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Berkshire Regiment: soccer and what looks like basketball (latter game presided over by a man in a blue top hat). (33 mins 16 secs) Reel 2: [Labelled “IRAQ-KURDISTAN TOUR”] “STAFF COLLEGE NORTH EASTERN TOUR 1957” A group of officers set off by car on a tour of North Eastern Iraq, August 1957. “A halt at Saladin”. General views of large tented camp, somewhere in the Saladin (Salah ad Din) Governate of Northern Iraq. “A mountain warfare dem at Zewa Camp”. Artillery piece is set up and fires at distant targets (which are seen smoking). Smallarms and mortars are also fired. Troops of the Iraqi on mules and on horseback make their way through the mountains (they are seen crossing a weir). “In the Rowanduz Gorge”. The group make their way along mountain paths near the city of Rowanduz (Rawandiz). Horses and mule cross the gorge via a girder bridge. “The Bejan Qaleh Pass”. The mule convoy continues through the mountains. At camp, the team are fed a hot meal by a local man. “Starting the climb to Kaya”. The expedition’s mule convoy makes its way through the mountains, across a shallow river and through a village (where the local people perform a circle dance). Local people and animals (sheep and horses). (Kaya is a peak in the mountains of North East Iraq.) “Evening in Penjwin”. Scenes in the Kurdish town. “Halabcha”. A street scene in the Kurdish village of Halabja (the village that, in 1988, was the scene of a chemical attack by Saddam Hussein’s forces). “The Dakkan Dam on the Little Zab R.” Views of the Dukan Dam, still under construction in 1957, and of the Little Zab River. “End of tour at Baghdad”. The members of the expedition gather their luggage. Uncaptioned sequence showing the marshes in South East Iraq; Marsh Arab boats move through the reeds. Scenes in an Iraqi village with children posing for the camera and playing football. Scenes of the British: a group poses for the camera, two small girls pick oranges, man sitting under verandah waves the camera away. Tourist shots: Iraqi ruins (possibly Babylon once more), posing for photographs, brief scenes on a dam (?) and outside a mosque. (14 mins 26 secs) Reel 3: [ Labelled “CYPRUS 1”] “CYPRUS I KYRENIA”. Shot of the sign for 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s) heralds a further sequence of shots in Northern Cyprus. (The coastal town of Kyrenia was the Battalion’s base.) “The Kyrenia Range and Pass”. Various shots of the mountains outside Kyrenia, both from the air and ground level. “On the Buffavento Track”. Jeep drives down narrow road. Views of mountains with coast beyond. A long shot shows Buffavento Castle on the mountaintop. This is followed by a series of aerial shots (taken from a light aircraft of various places and their surroundings, captioned thus: “Krini village”; “Vasilia village”; “Panaya Kriniotissa Monastery”; “Lapithos” (Lapitos); “Paleosophos village”; “Phterykha village”; and “Elea”. “OXI DAY Mar 25 1958”. Celebrations in the street and parade by Greek Cypriots celebrating on Greek National Independence Day. (The caption suggests that this is Oxi Day/Ohi Day, an annual commemoration of Ioannis Metaxas’ refusal to yield to Benito Mussolini in 1940; however, this takes place on October 28; March 25 is actually Independence Day.) “Aghirda, Village and Camp”. Series of scenes showing various aspects of 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment’s camp outside the village of Aghirda, strongly defended by walls of sand bags. D Company and HQ Company were stationed here. Despite the caption, there is just one aerial shot of the village. “Inter Platoon Competition”. Views on the roads of Northern Cyprus show soldiers running in formation; there are also shots of a shooting contest, suggesting that this is a summer biathlon. “Helicopter Training”. Troops climb on board a Sycamore helicopter, then abseil on a rope back down to the ground. “Ambush Drill Demonstration”. In a location on a mountain road, soldiers and officers gather to watch the demonstration, which is filmed from a high angle, and shows a vehicle coming under “attack” (smoke bombs are used for realism). Soldiers run for cover; later, an “enemy casualty” is carried back to the vehicle. Dog team is deployed from a Sycamore helicopter to find other “Greek Cypriot terrorists”. “Ayios Amvrosios Camp”. Scenes at this camp (home to A Company 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment) with makeshift buildings, Nissen huts and tents, and also animals: a cat and a dachshund are seen. Open air drill with heavy machine guns. Outside a church, a senior officer talks with a Greek Orthodox priest; local children watch. “The Forest Track to Yalla”. Land Rover on track; observation post in the mountains. (29 mins 34 secs) Reel 4: [Labelled “CYPRUS 2”] “CYPRUS 2” General views in the town of Kyrenia, focusing on Kyrenia Castle, which is a British garrison at this time, and home to B Company 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment. Miscellaneous shots of the castle include the courtyard, the towers, the main walls and the dome of the Church of St George (within the castle’s precincts). Views of Kyrenia harbour and breakwater, plus the mountains. On a mountain road, a sign for St Hilarion Castle is shown followed by scenes in the castle itself; restoration work is being carried out. Sign reads “Danger Keep Out War Dogs”. “Thalia Hotel and Upper Lapitos”. Views of the hotel and of the area from the hotel windows. British camp (C Company 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment) and street scenes in the village of Lapitos. (The village was a source of unrest during the EOKA campaign of guerrilla warfare between 1955 and 1959). “Operation ‘Spraysparkle’. Road block checks 25 July” (1958). Cars and lorries are checked by D Company at an impromptu roadblock on a country road. “Aghirda Detainment Camp”. General views of the tented camp where EOKA suspects were held. One man is led out with packed suitcases (being released?); other prisoners can be seen behind the wire fences. “Operation Ward Worth, near Karmi, 10 Aug”. (1958) Members of the battalion’s A and B companies carry out an area search for EOKA members in open country; one of the soldiers carries a large Union flag. Search by armed soldiers and dogs continues into the mountains. Jeeps make their way along the rough roads; one gets stuck and has to be pushed. Officer liaises with locals; Greek man shows his ID as women and children look on. Fruit is shaken from trees and gathered. “A Visit to HM Warships TORQUAY and ALAMEIN”. (30 August 1958) Views from small boat passing the harbour breakwater at Kyrenia. Landward shots and also close shots of the Whitby Class frigate HMS Torquay (F43). There are no scenes on board, and no footage of HMS Alamein with the possible exception of one extreme long shot. Small boat returns to harbour. “Operation ‘Wylye’ 9 Sep. Pentadaktylos area”. Search operation in scrubby landscape in the mountainous Pentadaktylos region; temporary communications station is set up on the top of a hill. Soldiers descend mountain road; convoy of vehicles is also seen. “END OF PART 2”. (31 mins 16 secs) Reel 5: [Labelled “CYPRUS 3 – STARLIGHT”] Uncaptioned sequences covers a training exercise in Libya by British army units, probably in 1958 when the British ally King Idris was under threat from neighbouring states. Soldiers stand by the open front cargo doors of a Blackburn Beverley aircraft. Ramps are put in place and various Land Rovers, towing field guns and trailers, drive off. The Beverley then takes off. Further scenes, in a vague sepia tone, show another Beverley being unloaded at another desolate location in Libya; soldiers erect a tented camp and prepare field guns. Brief colour footage of soldiers swimming in the Mediterranean. Soldiers (possibly A Company 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment) on a scrubby, barren, open landscape. Westland Whirlwind helicopter flies overhead, vehicles and troops gather; a basic encampment has been set up, with numerous vehicles covered in camouflage. Parachute drops in distance, probably supplies judging by the unguided and rapid descent. Various vehicles and a small aircraft can be seen in the area. Westland Whirlwind with underslung load; soldiers climb on board with jerrycans. Further vehicle and troop movements plus views of dugouts and gun positions. Preparation of ammunition boxes and jerrycans of fuel. Brief view of a different location, an airfield where troops embark onto another Blackburn Beverley at the end of the training exercise.(18 mins 54 secs) Reel 6: [Labelled “CYPRUS 4”] “CYPRUS 4” Sycamore helicopter in flight and landing. “Kolossi Castle, near Limassol”. Views of the castle with jeep parked outside. “The Mor Platoon last shoot at Goshi, 14 Jan”. (1958 ?) Soldiers set up mortar and fire several rounds. “The Atk Platoon last shoot at Pyla. 20 Jan.” (1958 ?) The anti-tank platoon prepare their artillery guns and fire; the guns are cleaned after firings. Various vehicles of 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment are parked nearby. (Pyla is a village near Larnaca; this is currently one of the few inhabited villages within the UN-sanctioned “Green Line”.) “Berkshire v Wiltshire”. Teams from 1st Battalion the Berkshire Regiment and their sister regiment 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment take each other on at both soccer and rugby. Brief scenes in Kyrenia harbour, where a local boat is loaded. “The Nines Cup, Won by D Coy”. This was a battalion cross country running championship held annually; parts of the race are shown, and prize-giving by kilted senior officer. Brief scenes: drive through of Kyrenia, senior officers in local village, a jeep being helped up a rocky road, personal weapons (pistol) practice on a makeshift firing range. “Farewell visit by the C in C Lt Gen Bower”. Lieutenant General Sir Roger Herbert Bower, Commander-in-Chief Middle East Land Forces (1958-1960), takes the salute and inspects the guard. Seats are set up outside the Officers’ Mess. Uncaptioned scenes show miscellaneous activities at camp and in the field. Uncaptioned final sequence shows the Battalion’s departure from Cyprus (which took place on Wednesday 25 February 1959) and journey home to England. Harbour scenes with military band playing as lorries arrive carrying troops. Many of them get into small launches and set off to board the steamship which will take them back to England (and is moored at sea). Scenes on board the passenger ship taking them home; soldiers and civilians mix on board. Deck hockey is played. Views of various passing vessels. High angle views of Gibraltar from the sea, and scenes ashore including the frontier with Spain at La Linea de la Concepción. High angle view from the Rock of Gibraltar harbour; among the ships docked here is an aircraft carrier. Further scenes on board the steamship (including more deck hockey). Soldiers stack their bags on deck in preparation for disembarkation. The ship comes in to dock at Southampton; families greet their loved ones. (The arrival at Southampton was on Monday 9 March 1959, a journey of nearly two weeks.) “END OF PART 4” (28 mins 38 secs) Reel 7: [ Labelled “MISCELLANEOUS 1958”] Brief, miscellaneous scenes (mosque, cat in garden). [British] people gather at Baghdad Airport; views from aircraft window as the aeroplane takes off, and views over mountains. Ground shots at a different airport; people disembark from Lufthansa airliner. Further in-flight shots, this time over Cyprus; the Cape Gkreko peninsula (in the south east of the island) can clearly be seen. Civilians relax on the verandah outside a house in Cyprus. Vehicles on road. Chameleon walks across a wall. Further aerial shots of Cyprus and of clouds. Military exercises in England (possibly 1958, 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment). Battalion sports day. Fishing in English river. Domestic scenes in a house with family. Parade of 1st Battalion the Wiltshire Regiment at their base at Le Marchant Barracks, Devizes; includes veterans. The parade marches through the streets to a churchyard and back again. The ferry across the River Severn between Aust and Beachley, Gloucestershire (before the construction of the Severn Bridge): cars board the Severn Queen at Aust. Landing at Beachley. Scenes in a large garden; men and women relax, children and a dog play. More women arrive, one with a babe in arms. Cricket Match at the Regimental Depot of the Wiltshire Regiment. (26 mins 30 secs) Reel 8: [Labelled “REGIMENTAL 1959”] Parade of the Wiltshire Regiment at Le Marchant Barracks, Devizes; colours are trooped. Band on parade on the cliff tops at Newquay, Cornwall. Army Sports Day: running, hurdles, shot putt. Views of Portsmouth from a boat; the Blackwood Class anti-submarine frigate HMS Dundas (F48) is moored nearby. Artillery and smallarms shooting on a range with a river running through it (possibly the annual Battalion Championships). Further sporting events, including Army sports day (athletics, tug’o’war, prizegiving), Battalion inter-company games (shooting event – includes shot of B Company score sheet), horse eventing (cross-country, with jumps and ditches), parade, cross-country run (the Nines Cup ?) (28 mins 19 secs) Reel 9: [Labelled "REGIMENTAL 1960"] Soccer match, athletics. Open Day at the barracks with static and active displays. Battalion Championships 1960: shooting event. Parade at barracks; afterwards, visitors drive away in coaches. Brief shots of cricket match and army exercise. Sports Day: children and adult races. Fete with traditional games (coconut shy etc). Military open day: indoor static military display, outdoor tents for the Wessex Brigade and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (the successor to the Wiltshire Regiment, which had merged with the Royal Berkshire Regiment in June 1959), gymnastics, transport display, mock battle. Another shooting event (further scenes of the 1960 Battalion Championships?). Athletics event. Army manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain; tents are set up and camouflaged, Land Rover and trucks drive through mud. Further cross-country running event: individual winners are Lance Corporal Openshaw, Private Blake and Private Fenton. Company scores are also shown. (32 mins 9 secs) Reel 10: [Labelled “SWINDON PARADE 1959”] The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s) receives the Freedom of Swindon in a parade at The Park, Swindon, on 16 May 1959. Mayor of Swindon inspects troops, and presents the scroll to Major General B A Coad, Colonel of the Regiment. The regiment troops the colour and then parades through the streets. [Possibly a City of Swindon production – this film, slightly modified, can be seen with a different end title, online at http://www.swindonviewpoint.com/video/wiltshire-regiment-gets-freedom-swindon-1963 - note that the website gets the date wrong].] (10 mins 9 secs) Reel 11: [Labelled "AMALGAMATION PARADE" (9 June 1959)] Amalgamation parade, June 1959: the Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s) and the Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) are merged to form the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire). Lieutenant Colonel Woolnough was commanding officer of 1 Battalion the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (1 DERR) between June 1959 and November 1960. (16 mins 26 secs) Reel 12: [Labelled “BATTALION TRAINING 1959”] Army manoeuvres in English woodland; soldiers’ helmets are covered in camouflage. Dug-out and small trench system are built, the walls reinforced by corrugated aluminium sheeting. Large scale movements of vehicles and personnel, including Centurion tanks. Artillery is set up and infantry advance. Soldiers gather after exercise. A second, shorter sequence shows an exercise in a snow-covered winter landscape: troop movements and camouflaged Land Rover. (7 mins 53 secs) Reel 13: [Labelled “MISCELLANEOUS PART 1 1962”] Army vehicle movements on rainy day (Germany). Vehicles are parked inside farm buildings. Two horse riding events: the first includes a pyjama relay race and young grooms at work. The second, at a different location, features cross-country racing and a formal show jumping course. Campsite. View from horse being ridden through woodland. (12 mins 9 secs) Reel 14: [Labelled “MISCELLANEOUS PART 2 1962”] Aerial shots of German landscape from helicopter, including forest, villages and autobahn. Allied checkpoint in West Berlin: US and German flags flying. Cars are checked as they cross the border. Off duty: family sets off for a picnic in a Ford Consul car. Views include picnic, landscape, steam train and campsite. Headquarters 1 (BR) Corps (Bielefeld ?). Vehicles leave to go on manoeuvres. Further fish farming scenes: fish are released into a lake (which is frozen; the ice has to be broken first). England: children are shown beehives, and are also seen paddling in a stream. (10 mins 53 secs) Reel 15: [Labelled “CYPRUS 1963”] Cyprus, 1963. Aerial shots. An army Auster AOP9 spotter aircraft (XP284) taxies. Parade with marching band. Polo match. Crowd control practice with riot shields and smoke bombs. Row of Land Rovers and armoured cars. Horseriding, show jumping and polo. (9 mins 31 secs) Reel 16: [Labelled “CYPRUS 1965”] Various views of Cyprus including the Greek ruins at Bellapais and landscapes of Northern Cyprus. Skiing in partially-wooded area during heavy snow (probably in the Troodos area). Kantara Castle and surrounding landscape. Fox hunt. Coastal town. Greek ruins at Kourion. Entrance to Headquarters 1st Battalion the Canadian Brigade. Views on coastal road. British family dining al fresco. (14 mins 35 secs) Reel 17: [Labelled “ARMY SADDLE CLUB”] Army Saddle Club at Dhekelia, the British Sovereign Base Area; British personnel practice their horsemanship, and also take part in another fox hunt. Soccer match is also shown. General Cyprus scenes: harbour at Kyrenia (Northern Cyprus), roadside views of countryside from moving vehicle. Further scenes at the Sovereign Base Area in Dhekelia. Official opening of King’s Field Airstrip, constructed by the Royal Engineers’ Cyprus Park Squadron between 24 March and 14 April 1964. Blackburn Beverley aircraft comes in to land, and senior officers drive out in Land Rovers to take the salute. Army Saddle Club. Parachute display, rugby match. Local modern buildings. Polo match. American Air Attache from Beirut, Lebanon, lands at King’s Field. Wedding of unidentified British couple. Young girl riding a donkey, and family relaxing. Back to King’s Field: RAF Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft (XR136) comes in to land and takes off again. Further sporting scenes: cricket, regatta, showjumping, polo, riding at Saddle Club, polo. King’s Field: aircraft take off and land. Several Armstrong Whitworth Argosy aircraft are lined up beside the airstrip. Harbour: personnel (politician, his wife and entourage?) leave in a launch. Car is loaded onto a boat by crane. Brief shot of flooded landscape. (30 mins 58 secs) Reel 18: [Labelled “ARMY”. Late 1950s] Cyprus. Quarrying of rocks; large boulders are moved to the side of the road, and smaller rocks are put under the wheels of a jeep stuck in gravel to provide traction. Title “Works Services at Wayne’s Keep” [a military cemetery near Nicosia; the cemetery itself is not shown]. Hockey match. Armoured cars.
  • Alternative Title: AMATEUR FILM BY LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GEORGE WOOLNOUGH [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: MGH 6836
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (MGH 6836)
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1957
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Woolnough, George Frederick1914-12-072012-01-05Educated Salisbury; RMA Sandhurst; Commissioned 1936, Wiltshire Regiment; 2nd Bn WR in Palestine (1936); BEF, France (1940); Far East and Middle East (1942 - 1943); North Africa (1943); Italy (1943 – 1944); Middle East (1944); North West Europe (1944); UK, Germany and Burma (1946); Singapore; UK; Cyprus (1950s and 1960s); last Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment and first CO of the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment after the Wiltshires amalgamated with the Royal Berkshire Regiment; Appointments on the Staff; retired in 1965; secretary of the Friends of Salisbury Cathedral (1966 - 1980); regional Superintendent for St John Ambulance; parish councillor, Middle Woodford, Wiltshire. (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: Std 8mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 18 Footage: ft; Running time: ca 180 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    MGH 6836

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    2012-11-19 () Documents.26299 (Private Papers of Lieutenant Colonel G F Woolnough MC) Documents.26299a (System.Xml.XmlElement) Documents.26299b (System.Xml.XmlElement) Documents.26299c (System.Xml.XmlElement) Documents.26299e (System.Xml.XmlElement) Documents.26299f (System.Xml.XmlElement) Documents.26299d (System.Xml.XmlElement) Documents.26299g (System.Xml.XmlElement)
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