In April of 1974, 1 Commando and 1AB Field Squadron were sent to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in rotation of the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP.) A few short months later fighting broke out between Cypriot forces in the capital Nicosia and UNFICYP was put on alert. It quickly became apparent that the Greek Cypriot National Guard had staged a coup d’etat, ousting the president Archbishop Makarios III.

Five days later Turkey invaded under the pretext of safe-guarding the Turkish minority on the island. The invasion began with airborne insertions near Nicosia and amphibious landings at Kyrenia. The Greek forces used UN positions to shield their defensive operations necessitating the evacuation of UN observation posts as they came under fire.

The UN forces worked tirelessly over the next few days to establish a tentitive cease-fire which gave the rest of the Airborne Regiment to deploy to Cyprus and re-enforce the UN troops and their 1 Commando bretheren.

On the second of August The Airborne CO, Colonel G. Lessard took command of the UN forces and began to take control of the situation through heavy patrolling, re-establishment of the UN Observation Posts and forcibly removing of Greek and Turkish roadblocks.

Then on the 14th of August the second wave of the Turkish invasion began and both sides began to target UN positions. Two days later a ceasefire was called and the Turks and Greeks began building defensive positions. Meanwhile, the Airborne troops patrolled the buffer zone between the lines, assisted with the delivery of relief supplies to refugees and organized exchanges of PoWs.

For their courage and professionalism during the Cyprus conflict, members of the Airborne Regiment received two Stars of Courage and six Medals of Bravery. Five members of 1 Airborne Field Squadron (Engineers) were awarded the Member of the Order of Military Merit. Para G Perron and Para J.C. Berger from 1 Commando were killed and 30 other airborne soldiers were wounded.

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