Sir, – Intellectual promoters or those with agenda can be wearisome, as in the commentary regarding the Cyprus Green Line by your recent correspondents. To relate the facts surrounding the act of “drawing the line on the map”, as they said, might be helpful.
Who drew the map and how did it come about? Little is known of the Irish input at that critical time in Cyprus.
Archbishop Makarios knew that it was essential to find a solution to the tribal warfare and that a solution had to be put into place without delay, otherwise war would break out. He contacted the British foreign office for Cyprus and said he needed an honest broker, but he did not want any UK politician becoming involved. The archbishop clearly stated he wished to have the services of Billy MacDonald RAF, then administrator of the UK bases, to assist in doing what had to be done; and he stated that he and George Greivis, the rebel, both trusted Billy MacDonald.
So my uncle Billy, from Cork, was allowed go with “the lads” to the mountains and that is when the Green Line was agreed and a war prevented. Billy said it was not a perfect solution, but it did the job.
Some very strange things later took place, when the very poorly equipped Irish UN soldiers arrived. Billy said he robbed every queen’s store on the island to assist equipping them. Billy was a farmer’s son from Cork, educated in Ireland, earned the first Distinguished Flying Cross in the last war and was an expert in Mediterranean affairs. Queen Elizabeth came to the island after the Green Line had been put in place and she said to him, “I like what you’ve done here, and when you come to London, call to my office”. When Billy did, he was given a commission as air aide.
Air Marshall Sir William MacDonald was a quiet man. The Green Line signatories requested that Billy would continue to live in Cyprus for at least three years, which he did. Billy enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Archbishop Makarios. There is a message in this event not captured by your correspondents: that human behaviour and high standards of integrity are always in demand when uncertainty challenges peace. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL MacDONALD,
Harbour Road,
Mullingar,
Co Westmeath.