Personnel from a Hambleton-based Army unit have donned the famous blue berets of the UN as they prepare to deploy to the Mediterranean.
6 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), which operates out of Thirsk, will form part of Operation TOSCA, Britain’s contribution to the peacekeeping mission in Cyprus.
Captain Zabina Holt, who will be deploying as a liaison officer, said: “It really is a multinational effort to help keep peace.
“It is a mandate that is renewed every six months. We are really used to working in a diverse organisation.”
The international force, established under UNSC Resolution 186 in 1964, sees troops patrol the 112-mile long Buffer Zone.
UN forces in the country are made up of almost 1,000 soldiers and police officers from countries as far apart as China and Paraguay.
Captain Holt explained that this would prove no obstacle to success.
“You could argue that the British Army is one of the most diverse organisations. In this deployment alone, we have 14 different nationalities.
“We have an understanding of how to work alongside other cultures.”
While Britain contributes the most personnel to the mission, with around 250 troops deployed, it is closely followed by Argentina and Slovakia.
The overall aim of the coalition is to prevent any widespread fighting between Greek and Turkish Cypriots on either side of the divide and to monitor the agreed ceasefire lines – relics of a 1974 conflict.
While there have been no casualties from hostile action among UN forces since the 1980s, deploying British soldiers are still fully trained in managing violent public order incidents.
Operation TOSCA has history in this part of North Yorkshire – the Topcliffe-based 4th Regiment Royal Artillery performed the role in 2019.
Captain Holt, who is an intelligence officer back in the UK, concluded: “Everyone’s really excited.
“There are over 140 people [with us] who have never deployed before.
“Everyone wants to go out and do the role that they’ve been trained to do.”
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