Greek 1945 Long Branch No 4*.

**Anzac15** · 10-07-2013 12:06 AM

Hello again all..here are pics of a 1945 Long Branch No 4* that I bought about a year and a half ago, sold to a friend of mine, and bought back today. The buttstock is carved in Greek characters, and I translated them when I first got it (have it on a piece o' paper somewhere) Anyway, apparently this No 4* was one of who knows how many rifles that went to Greece to fight the commies after WW2. One of the places carved on here is Kokinna, which I believe is Cyprus(?) and the year 1971. The owner/users nameis on here as well. Will have to find the paper with all the translations. Just wondered what event took place on Cyprus in 1971. Did the Turks try another takeover? Would really like to get an idea what this rifle was involved in..enjoy the pics!

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**browningautorifle** · 10-07-2013 01:13 AM

Kokkina exclave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I knew it doesn't mean Cyprus, I was there for a while...couple times. I saw these rifles in use. They saw lots of good solid use. The Turks did a couple attempts to push the island. Lots of info in that link I sent. In 1974 there was the second war and these rifles were in the hands of virtually everyone. We saw Greek civilians wearing suits fighting with these rifles.

**Beerhunter** · 10-07-2013 12:08 PM

To be fair to the Turks, they did not try to "take over" Cyprus, just part of the Island to provide a safe haven for the Turkish icon

population. And they only did so in response to a military coup on the island by some of the Greek population that was ordered by "The Colonels" Junta in Greece.

**browningautorifle** · 10-07-2013 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Beerhunter

they did not try to "take over" Cyprus

Sure thing. Whatever you say...

**Anzac15** · 10-09-2013 12:54 AM

Heres a little 'diagram' I made up of both sides of the butt. Copied and translated the best I could. Browningauto, since you were there, I'd be very interested in what you think of these. Also, if you had any photos from when you were there, Id really like to see them! Ive become very interested in the history of this conflict since Ive gotten this rifle.

**browningautorifle** · 10-09-2013 01:57 AM

As they say, it's all Greek to me...The name on the left is just that, the 52B looks like a radio call sign, but Canadian icon

so...maybe it's his sub unit. The year would make sense. The village name would make sense too. Many of those Greek Cypriot fighters were posted to their own home area, so they could be billeted at home and fed by mother. This reduced the care and expence taken by their unit. Their duty station would be just down the road from home...bunker or roadblock...

I have a few photos from there but they're all hard copy. I should get some done to digital, when I do...I'll drop you a PM. Send them along to you. Take the town name and type it into a search engine. It'll come up and Youtube has lots of vids about the 74 war.

**Anzac15** · 10-09-2013 02:10 AM

Thanks for the info!

**Beerhunter** · 10-09-2013 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Sure thing. Whatever you say...

Forgive me but it isn't "what I say" it's what happened.

**Alexander A** · 10-09-2013 11:24 AM

The right side of the stock says "12 months in Kokkina" ("12 mines eis Kokkina"). The left side has the name "Leukas Papadopoulos" and "Limassol 1971." I don't know what "52B" means. Possibly a unit?

**Alexander A** · 10-09-2013 12:15 PM

I've been thinking a little more about this. "Kokkina" could mean the color red (or rather, things that are red), as well as the name of the Turkish icon

-enclave village. It doesn't seem reasonable that a member of the Greek-Cypriot National Guard would spend a year of his service continuously besieging a Turkish-occupied village, especially when no active fighting was going on. The inscription could mean something like "12 months in the red" -- a commentary on the futility and waste of his service, in that he could have been doing something more useful and profitable.

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