Battle of the Pine | |||||||
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Part of Cyprus Emergency | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
George Grivas | Unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | 1 vehicle | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Possible 1 insurgent | 2 dead 2 wounded |
The Battle of the Pine is the name given in Greek Cypriot sources to an attack on a British army vehicle by the EOKA on 24 November 1955. A team of EOKA guerrillas ambushed the vehicles on the road from Kyperounda to Chandria killing one soldier, Sapper Robert Melson. [1] [2]
The next day British troops shot dead a Cypriot who approached the vehicle in which Downing died and failed to answer challenges from British soldiers. [3]
This was one of several comparable incidents at the times which resulted in the deaths of several British servicemen and contributed to the declaration of a State of Emergency on the island. [4]