Wander00, thanks for reminding me of the Dome. I was trying to remember the name of the hotel we used to stay in back in 1958. Us Transport Command lot used to have a three week accomodation rotation while waiting to take part in a "secret" airborne assault, but which never happened, somewhere in the Middle East. Many years later I learned the target was Teheran with a diversion to Bahrain after dropping the paratroops.
For three months Hastings and Beverley crew accommodation was rotated, with week one in tents at RAF Nicosia on permanent standby from 1800 to midnight when not practicing large night formations (cock-ups), week two at the Ledra Palace in Nicosia on standby from 0600 to 1200 and week three in the Dome at Kyrenia letting our hair down. All this was done with a Smith and Wesson, loaded with five bullets, shoved in our trouser pockets as there were no holsters available in Cyprus. Sometimes I swapped my Ledra week for another tent week on the airfield to get more hours on the the Levant Comm Squadron Meteors.
Returning from a heavy night in the Harbour Club our Flt Sgt Signaller met an EOKA terrorist on the second storey landing in the Dome, drew his six shooter and fired at said EOKA man, who drew his gun at the same time. A full length mirror shattered and our crew had to chip in for a replacement. The real problem was getting another .38 bullet. I think the Flt Engineer twisted an arm in the armoury and an almost inevitable Court Martial was averted.
Last edited by brakedwell; 31st Dec 2016 at 13:58.
Reason: Grammar