Page 40 - AGC Journal 2018

AGC JOURNAL 2018

The Royal Lancers

Operation Tosca

By Private Jarra Horton
Operation Tosca is the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus.

The Mission Headquarters which on arrival had seen better days and was
starting to look much worn.
The mission is to maintain, secure and safeguard the Buffer

Zone which separates the Greek Cypriot National Guard in At midnight of 15 June 1993, Canadian Soldiers conducted
the south and the Turkish Cypriot Forces in the North. There their last patrol and Canada formally withdrew from its
are three sectors on the island with Sector One being the peacekeeping force. As a mark of respect and remembrance to
Argentinean contingent in the West, Sector Two the British the Canadian contribution, Sector 3 ceased to exist.
contingent working out of the capital Nicosia and Sector Four
being the joint Hungarian and Slovakian contingent in the 25th Anniversary
East. You may think there was a numerical error in the sectors
naming convention but I will explain more with a bit of history This year marks the 25th anniversary of the end of Operation
of Sector Three. Snowgoose. To mark such a milestone we decided upon
rejuvenating the Canadian memorial outside Sector 2
Sector Three Brief History Headquarters. This was rewarding as over the years the The Royal Lancers
memorial has been restored several times and the last time detachment. Left to right:
Matthew Tobin, Jarra
Operation Snowgoose was Canada’s contribution to the was in 2001. Horton, Claire Davis, Cedric
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. This was Marie, Louise Thornton
formed by the 1st Battalion Royal 22nd Regiment. On the Service of Remembrance
27 March 1964 Canadian soldiers arrived in Nicosia and
Canada became responsible for Sector Three making Ledra Thursday 7th June 2018 marked the day of remembrance, with Working together Life in Sector 2
Palace Hotel their Headquarters, which is where the British a fresh looking memorial and a certainty for nice weather, a to bring the
Contingent is based. remembrance service was held. Guests included the Head of Canadian Memorial There is plenty of opportunity to patrol and see the Buffer Zone.

Mission, Elizabeth Spehar, Canadian High Commissioner Keith back up to standard The West and the East are vast open areas which are highly
Over the next 29 years, Canada would be a major contributor Morrill and Major Soo Choi, who holds Canada’s remaining farmed and often have hunting violations. In the city centre of
to the mission, with over 25,000 Canadian soldiers serving. presence. During the service there was an insightful address Nicosia you can patrol on foot or bicycle. It is however, not the
This includes 28 Canadian peacekeepers that lost their lives from the Head of Mission on Canada’s history within Cyprus. only way to see the Buffer Zone. Within Sector 2 you could take a

serving in Cyprus. They are remembered by a memorial This was followed by the laying of wreaths, where I was flight in a helicopter which is a most relaxing flight if you don’t

on the grounds of Wolseley Barracks outside of Sector 2 honoured to represent the Regiment. mind the doors being removed. If flying and patrolling are not

for you then the Green Line Tour is very interesting. Each building
has a story behind it, from schools with books and tables to
St Hiralion Castle, garages with pristine cars. There is plenty to learn within Sector
considered vital 2, the most interesting day I have had by far was the trip to the
ground for the Cyprus Missing Persons unit where we learnt about the history

defence of the of the conflict and the extent the United Nations have gone to in

island recovering the remains of the certified missing, identifying the
remains and returning them to their families.
More Than a Tour
A crashed
bomber The privileges this tour brings is freedom to experience Cyprus
aircraft in and the Cypriot culture in both the North and the South. One
the Buffer thing they have in common is their love for coffee which has kept

Zone me happy throughout this tour. There are plenty of places to visit
for welfare trips across the island. There are plenty of historical
sites and if history is not your thing, then there are always the
beaches which have proven very popular. There is also Adventure
Training with a variety of different packages. Mountain biking,

rock climbing, kayaking, scuba diving, wind surfing, kite surfing

and parachuting.
Endnote
Claire Davis
preparing for The best thing I could take away from this tour is seeing the
an air patrol bigger picture of what the United Nations is aiming to achieve.

of the Buffer There are plenty of chances to experience the culture. My best
Zone advice to the next detachment is to enjoy it, go out on patrols and
experience the island to the fullest.
40 41