Commemoration of Washington soldiers killed in Cyprus after 50 years of service

A memorial service was held on the 50th anniversary of the death of a 17-year-old soldier in Cyprus.

On July 21, 1974, Guardsman Graeme Lawson of the Coldstream Guards from Barmston, Washington, became the first soldier to be killed while serving with the UN in Cyprus.

More than 50 people attended the ceremony, which took place at Washington Cemetery.

Ged Parker, chairman of the Washington History Society, which organized the event, said the service was “absolutely outstanding.”

“It just seemed the right thing to do to commemorate his death,” Parker said.

Also attending the service was Guardsman Lawson’s uncle, Doug Nelton, who said he was “quite moved.”

Guardsman Lawson is said to have been killed when a weapon he was discharging exploded.

He had been in Cyprus for four weeks and it was his first deployment.

A day earlier, Turkish forces had invaded the island in response to a military coup supported by the Greek government.

He was buried on 1 August 1974 in Washington, Sunderland, and is survived by his parents and brothers and sisters.

Representatives of the Coldstream Guards, the Washington Royal British Legion and the Holy Trinity Church attended the service.

Bob Hardy, 71, of Killingworth, North Tyneside, also served in the Coldstream Guards and was in Cyprus in 1974 when Guardsman Lawson died.

“I don’t remember him myself, but I spoke to colleagues who knew him and they said he was a quiet boy, but he had only just joined and had only been there for such a short time,” he said.

“I remember hearing about his death. It touched the whole battalion deeply and I will certainly never forget him.”

Mr Parker said the next step in remembering Guardsman Lawson would be to have his name added to a local war memorial, hopefully before Remembrance Day this year.

“If this happens before this November, he will be named on that occasion as another resident of the area who has lost his life and thus the general public of the city will know about this incident,” he added.