Page 13 - The Princess Mary's Hospital 40pp book.pdf

Coup and invasion – the events of July-August 1974
Greece had been under an increasingly unpopular military junta since 1967, and on 15 July 1974 this junta tried a Falklands-type diversion by staging a coup d’état to overthrow the Cypriot President, Archbishop Makarios. Once the coup protagonists proclaimed Nikos Sampson (long-time EOKA activist and extreme Turkophobe) as president, Turkish intervention to protect the Turkish-Cypriot minority became almost inevitable. Turkey invaded northern Cyprus on 20 July 1974, precipitating a massive refugee crisis.
Extract from TPMH Operational Record Book, July 1974
At the beginning of the invasion, Services families living in Limassol were moved onto the base and had to share accommodation with other families, up to 20 people per quarter. As the Turkish Army moved forward, TPMH went onto a war footing resulting in all staff being required to live and sleep at the hospital working an eight-hour rota.
The evacuation of Kyrenia and the Kocatepe incident
(24 July 1974) “Today has been the acid test for our hospital. At 1100 hours we were faced with a MULTICAS situation stemming from the evacuation of Kyrenia by the Royal Navy. One hour later we had been inundated with 85 casualties... I am proud of you all. As we started with Royal Naval
17TPMH Archives, Kew. 18TPMH Archives, Kew.
involvement I think it is only fair to end the day with one of their old traditional and reserved [sic] customs. “TO ALL PERSONNEL ‘SPLICE THE MAINBRACE’ the bill to be paid from my Fund.”” (Group Captain Donald17)
(24 July 1974) “72 rescued Turkish sailors succoured and then evacuated by helicopter.”
Commanding Officer’s summary:
The major incident referred to in these intriguing extracts is described more fully in a five-page letter18 summarising the hospital’s role in this conflict. This was sent on 9 October 1974 by Group Captain Donald (Commanding Officer TPMH) to Air Marshal GH Dhenin, Director General Medical Services (RAF), who had been TPMH’s first Commanding Officer in 1963:
(9 October 1974) “Now that the dust has apparently settled, I know you would wish to know how the hospital fared during the Cyprus troubles...
The busiest day was 24 July, when at approximately 1030hrs we were given some 15 minutes’ notice of the arrival of 74 Turkish naval seamen, who were survivors of a Turkish destroyer sunk three days earlier by one of their own submarines... The hospital’s ‘Disaster Plan’ for the reception of mass casualties was implemented. Helicopters – SAR Whirlwinds and naval Sea Kings from HMS Hermes – began to arrive at the hospital helicopter pad
at under five-minute intervals and soon Ward 7 was full. The only suitable space left was the wide corridor outside the Physiotherapy Department and approximately 30 safari beds were positioned there and rapidly filled. These survivors mainly wore only underpants and were suffering from exposure and sunburn with some minor injuries and it must be assumed that the more seriously injured expired at sea. They were given drinks, slept for some 2–3 hours and then were being served with a hot meal when we were informed that if fit to move they could be taken back to a Turkish
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