Policing in Cyprus 1955 to 1960

Investigation Update re:- 

Police Sergeant – Emyr Pedr Edwards

By Chris Elliott….

We were delighted to hear from Mervyn Matthews the Vice Chairman of CARPO, the Cyprus Association of Retired Police Officers that in conjunction with Mike McAdam, they had placed an appeal in the London Police Pensioners magazine for help in finding any information or people who may have known Police Sergeant, Emyr Pedr Edwards who served in the Cyprus UKU from August 1956 until April 1960.

His story is a very sad one ending with his disappearance from the steamship Helenus and subsequent Maritime Deaths register gives the date of death as 7th/8th April 1961. His younger brother on behalf of the family would be delighted to learn any information of his brother’s time serving here in Cyprus and if any readers can help, please email Mike McAdam at  mike@mikejmcadam.com or Mervyn Matthews at mervyn.matthews@gmail.com

Should you wish, you can also leave information in the contact form at the bottom of this article.

Policing in Cyprus 1955 to 1960

By Chris Elliott

On our website http://www.cyprusscene.com we are increasingly receiving comments and additional information about many of the subjects or people we have been writing about and this is most welcome as it enables us to update our articles with the very latest information.

One of the projects we have in hand is to help the family of Police Sergeant, Emyr Pedr Edwards, collar number 2130,  learn more of his time and experiences in Cyprus.. Emyr was part of the Metropolitan Police contingent that came to Cyprus as the United Kingdom Police Unit (UKU)  and supported the local police in countering the activities of EOKA during those troubled times.

Emyr Pedr Edwards

Collar number 2130

Metropolitan Police, Warrant number 139364

Served in Cyprus UKU from August 56 until April 1960

Emyr served in Cyprus for a lengthy period but the family have very little knowledge of his time here in Cyprus and following his return to the UK he departed to Australia in 1961 and this journey resulted as a mystery as told by his brother Ifor Edwards.

“My brother, Emyr, was lost at sea, presumed killed or drowned, in April 1961. He was in the Metropolitan Police, Warrant number 139364 and  served in Cyprus UKU from August 1956 until April 1960. He resigned voluntarily from the police on 4th December 1960.”

Ifor Edwards appeals for information about his brother Emyr Pedr Edwards

“Emyr was born in Ruthin, North Wales on 6th June 1932 and had been PE Instructor in the RAF (and enjoyed Boxing) before joining the Metropolitan Police and going to Cyprus and on his return to the UK he decided to go to Australia to see a friend, David Williams, but he mysteriously disappeared after sailing from Liverpool early in  April 1961 (age 28) on the steamship Helenus and the person who shared his cabin also seems to have disappeared off the scene.

Some of his belongings went missing and the Maritime Deaths register gives the date of death as 7th/8th April 1961, and the place as “Western Mediterranean” we think somewhere near Gibraltar.  A Board of Trade hearing was carried out but I have little or no information on this. One of my sisters seems to remember something about him having a nervous breakdown and paranoia while in Cyprus. His police record gives his service in Cyprus as “Exemplary” and I seem to remember he was promoted to sergeant while serving under Sir Hugh Foot.

I would be most grateful if you could find any information about his time in Cyprus during those awful years.

Ifor Edwards”

To our worldwide readers if you can offer any information about Emyr Pedr Edwards do please leave your comment in the contact form below and we will pass your information to his brother Ifor.

No doubt the time that the UK police spent in Cyprus must have been very stressful and they would have experienced many horrors and their brave service should not be forgotten and it is appropriate that this year here in North Cyprus a memorial service will be held when a memorial to those Policemen that lost their lives will be unveiled.