Cyprus Veterans’ Association launches website

Cyprus Veterans’ Association of World War II has launched its own website, www.cyprusveterans.com.cy, at which data concerning Cyprus’ contribution to the two world wars and the names of Cypriots who have been honoured or have died at the war fronts have been filed.

Speaking during a press conference President of the Association Loizos Demetriou welcomed the decision of the Cyprus government to give the Veterans of World War II an honorary pension amounting to 50 Cyprus pound per month since April this year, noting that the Cypriot Veterans have also asked the government of Britain to approve a pension of honour for the volunteers who served during World War II.

Cyprus was a British colony during World War II and the volunteers joined the British army. Demetriou said that the number of Cypriot volunteers reached, according to official data of the British Ministry of Defence, 19,821, of which 12 thousand are volunteers in the Cypriot Regiment, 4 thousand in Cyprus Volunteering Force, 690 volunteers were recruited in Egypt and 778 women volunteers, who served at women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service and Auxiliary Air Force. Seventy eight per cent of the volunteers were Greek Cypriots, 21% Turkish Cypriots and 1% came from other minorities on the island.

As regards Cyprus’ contribution to World War I, Demetrious said that according to the data which the Association has collected, Cyprus had offered 16 thousand volunteers during the years 1916-1918. Eighty nine per cent of them were Greek Cypriots and 11% Turkish Cypriots, while according to some information Turkish Cypriot volunteers jointed the alliance forces in Thessaloniki where Cypriot volunteers served.

The website will also include in the future the list of Cypriot captives and prisoners, a membership application, a list of publications, a list of commemorations events and links with other relevant international associations.

In his message at the website, former President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides, a veteran of World War II, said he was proud “because my small in numbers country contributed 20.000 brave men in the defence of Freedom and Democracy”.