Assistant Chief Constable (C.I.D.).

Sir,

Violent death of Kyriacos Christofi MATSIS, 32 years, of Palechori, at Kato Dhikomo, Kyrenia District on the 19th November, 1958. Next of Kin: Christoforos Kyriakou MATSIS, 58 years, a farmer of Palechori.

I have to report that at about 1325 hours on Wednesday 19th November, 1958, the above named person, who was a “wanted” E.O.K.A. terrorist, died violently as a result of action by Security Forces, when he was found in a “hide” constructed under a house at Kato Dhikomo village, Kyrenia District. The circumstances of the death are as follows:-

2. The deceased was born at Palechori on the 2nd May, 1926. After attending school in Cyprus he became an Agricultural student at Salonika University in Greece. On his return to Cyprus in 1952 he was employed as a Farm Manager at The Cyprus Farming Company, Kouklia, and later became Manager of Acheras Farm, owned by the Hellenic Mining Company.

3. On the 9th January, 1956, he was arrested as a suspected member of E.O.KA. and on the 26th January, 1956, he was served with a Detention order under the Emergency Regulations. On the 30th January, 1956, he was placed in Kokkinotrimithia Detention Camp where he was detained until the 13th September, 1956, when, with six other persons, he escaped and since that time he has been unlawfully at large. He was circulated as a “wanted” person and a reward of £5,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest. This amount later being reduced to £500.

4. On the 19th November, 1958, as a result of information received, an operation was carried out by Security Forces at Kato Dhikomo village, the units concerned in this operation being a Company of the Wiltshire Regiment, a Company of the parachute Regiment and Cyprus Police. A cordon was placed on the village and a search carried out. The object of the operation being the arrest of MATSIS who was believed to be hiding in the village.

5. At 1300 hours that day, as a result of information, Major Knott of the Wiltshire Regiment, Major McRITCHIE of the Parachute Regiment and other Military personnel commenced to search houses on the north western edge of the village. A few minutes later they went to a house now known to be occupied by Kyriacos CHRISTODOULOU alias DIAKOS, a farmer, and this house was surrounded by Military. The occupants of the house, who were the owner and his wife together with their two small children, were checked and sent for screening.

6. The house was comprised of four rooms all opening room a central hall, at either end of which was an outer door. The premises were searched and it was observed that the right hand room at the rear, which was furnished as a sitting room, had a tiled floor whereas the remainder of the house had stone floors. All the furniture was then moved out of this room into the hall and a careful search made of the floor. At a point beneath the window it was observed that a block of four tiles were loose. These tiles were taken up revealing a concrete slab. This appeared to conceal the entrance to a “hide”.

7. An interpreter then called in Greek to MATSIS, and after he had called several times a voice answered from beneath the floor. A conversation then took place between the interpreter and the person in the “hide” which revealed that MATSIS and two other men were in the “hide”, armed with weapons and bombs. MATSIS refused to surrender but stated that he would send out his two companions, unarmed. As it was thought there may be a gun battle, everybody left the house and took up positions in the garden at the rear.

8. A few moments later two men with their hands raised, climbed out of the rear window of the room and surrendered. Major McRITCHIE then went into the house through the rear door, with the interpreter, and on looking through the door into the room saw that the concrete slab had now been removed from the entrance to the “hide”. The interpreter then called on MATSIS to surrender and he answered, still refusing to do so. As it was hoped to arrest MATSIS alive, Major Mc RITCHIE then crept forward with a tear gas grenade and dropped it through the entrance to the “hide”. He heard the mechanism operate, and with the interpreter, left the house. Almost immediately he heard a burst of automatic fire from inside the house. As he did not know whether MATSIS had actually fired on Security Forces or was hoaxing making it appear that he had shot himself and then intending to fire on Security Forces, Major McRITCHIE returned to the house, crept into the room and dropped a “36” grenade into the entrance to the “hide”. He left the house and heard the grenade explode. He then went back into the house and dropped another “36” grenade into the “hide” with the object of neutralizing any explosives which may be present. After this had detonated Major KNOTT and Major McRITCHIE went into the room and with a torch and mirror looked into the “hide”. They saw the dead body of a man and two automatic weapons.

9. Detective Sergeant SMITH then went into the room and took charge of the scene. Nobody was allowed to enter the “hide” and it was guarded until the arrival of Major HARRISON, Government Explosive Officer at 1700 hours.

10. The “hide” was examined by Major HARRISON and the body was then removed, together with two sub-machine guns, ammunition and other property, and the “hide” sealed and left under Military guard.

11. The body was removed to the Mortuary at Nicosia General Hospital, and on the following morning a Post Mortem examination was carried out by Dr. N. G. SANERKIN, Government Pathologist, after the body had been identified by the father of the deceased. It was found that there were two bullet wounds in the left side of the head, in an upward direction with exit wounds at the top of the head. There was a dense powder deposit round one of the entry wounds. There were also serious injuries to the right leg and numerous wounds caused by the fragments of the grenades mostly in the region of the back. Dr. SANERKIN stated that death was due to bullet wounds through the head.

12. On the morning of the 20th November, 1958, a further search was made of the “hide” by Major HARRISON, when further ammunition, nine expended .45 cartridges, part of a Sterling gun and a fragment fo the copper jacket of a bullet were found. These exhibits were taken by Detective Sergeant SMITH and later handed to Chief Superintendent BIRD, Forensic Science Department, Force Headquarters, for examination. In addition to the exhibits mentioned, a quantity of explosives and a service gas grenade, which had misfired, were found.

13. The following witnesses can give evidence as shown:-

(1) Major Herbert Michael McRITCHIE of the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment, Whittington Camp, Nicosia, in his statement a copy of which is attached at Pages 6-9, describes the operation and the action taken by him when MATSIS refused to surrender.

(2) Detective Sergeant No. 2481 Laurance Arthur SMITH of C.I.D., Kyrenia, in his statement, a copy of which is attached at Pages 10 & 11, states that he was present during the operation and what he saw and heard when he was called to the house in question. He took charge of the exhibits and later handed these to Detective Inspector COX. He escorted the body of the deceased to the Mortuary at Nicosia General Hospital. On the following morning he again went to the scene and was handed further exhibits from the “hide” by major HARRISON which he later handed to Chief Superintendent BIRD, Forensic Science Department, Force headquarters.

(3) Detective Sergeant No. 442 Salim YIAVOUZ of C.I.D., Kyrenia, in his statement a copy of which is attached at pages 12 and 13, states that he was with Detective Sergeant SMITH at Kato Dhikomo on the operation. A few minutes after 1300 hours, he was called to the house in question and he heard a conversation between an interpreter and a person concealed in the “hide” under the floor of the rear room.

(4) Detective Sergeant Roy TRENCHARD of C.I.D., Kyrenia, in his report a copy of which is attached at page 14, states that at 1445 hours on the 19th November, 1958, he went to a house at Kato Dhikomo village where he took a series of ten photographs of a house and a “hide” under the floor of a rear room in which there was the body of a man. Copies of photographs attached at page 28.

(5) Christoforos Kyriakou MATSIS, 58 years, a farmer of Palechori, in his statement a coy of which is attached at Page 15, states that on the morning of the 20th November, 1958, he went to the Mortuary at Nicosia General Hospital where he identified the body of his son Kyriakos Christofi MATSIS. He last saw his son alive about three years ago when he was detained at Kokkinotrimithia Detention Camp.

(6) Detective Inspector Donald WALTERS of force Headquarters, Nicosia, in his report at Page 16 states that on the morning of the 20th November, 1958, he went to the Mortuary at Nicosia General Hospital, where he took a series of six photographs of the body of a man which was identified to him as that of Kyriakos Christofi MATSIS. Photographs attached at Page 29.

(7) Dr. N.G. SANERKIN, Government pathologist, Nicosia General Hospital, in his report a copy of which attached at Pages 17 & 18, states that on the morning of the 20th November, 1958, he carried out a Post Mortem examination on a body which was identified to him as that of Kyriakos Christofi MATSIS, and of his findings.

(8) Major HARRISON, Government Explosives Officer, Force Headquarters, Nicosia, in his report a copy of which is attached at page 19, describes his findings at the scene and the recovery of firearms, ammunition and other property. A second visit was made on the following day when further property was recovered from the “hide”.

(9) Chief Superintendent BIRD, Forensic Science Department, Force Headquarters, Nicosia, in his report, a copy of which is attached at pages 20 to 22, describes the exhibits handed to him by Detective inspector COX and Detective Sergeant SMITH.

(10) Detective Inspector Stanley Ernest COX, of C.I.D. Force Headquarters, Nicosia, in his statement a copy of which is attached at pages 23 & 24, states that at 1655 hours on the 19th November, 1958, he went to a house at Kato Dhikomo where he saw a dead body of a man in a “hide” constructed beneath the floor of a rear room. He later assisted in the removal of the body from the “hide” and escorted the body to Nicosia General Hospital. He also received exhibits from Detective Sergeant SMITH. On the morning of the 20th November, 1958, he was present at the Mortuary at Nicosia General Hospital when the body of deceased was identified by his father, and when a post Mortem examination was carried out by Dr. SANERKIN. He received fragments of metal taken from the body and handed these, with other exhibits, to Chief Superintendent BIRD, Forensic Science Department, Force Headquarters.

14. Major Timothy Frederick KNOTT of the 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment, Aghirda Camp, Kyrenia, was the officer in charge of the operation. He is leaving Cyprus on the 5th December, 1958, for U.K., when he is being prematurely released from the Army and taking up, a Civil employment. As Major McRITCHIE was present all the time and it was he who actually was in the house and threw the grenades into the “hide”, he is a better witness, and the presence of Major KNOTT would not appear to be necessary at the Inquest.

15. The interpreter present at this operation is a Special Branch officer but for security reasons these officers are not usually called to give evidence. Detective Sergeant Salim YIAVOUZ was present during the conversation between the interpreter and MATSIS, and will give evidence to this effect.

16. During the operation no shots were fired by Security Forces. Medical evidence shows that MATSIS died from bullet wounds through the brain, fired in an upward direction. At one of the entry wounds was dense powder deposit indicating that the shot was fired at close range. In the “hide” were found two automatic weapons, one of which, the .45 sub-machine gun, was fitted with an empty magazine. Nine expended cartridge cases for this type of weapon were found, also a fragment of the copper jacket for this size bullet.

17. It appears that the gas grenade thrown in by major McRITCHIE failed to operate. It was shortly after this was thrown that the burst of automatic fire was heard. It is my opinion, from the evidence available, that MATSIS, having decided not to surrender, took his own life rather than risk being wounded or captured by Security Forces.

18. The owner of the house in which the “hide” was constructed, and his wife, are under arrest and a charge of “harbouring terrorists” under the Emergency Regulations is pending against them. In addition, the two men who surrendered from the “hide” are under arrest, and a charge of possessing the weapons, ammunition and explosives, is pending against them.

19. Although the full reports of Chief Superintendent BIRD and Major HARRISON are enclosed in this docket, in view of the pending prosecutions it may be considered desirable that all the information contained in these reports should not be disclosed in open court before the hearing of the charges.

20. In my opinion this is a suitable case for Police to be legally represented during the hearing of the Inquest and the docket is forwarded herewith for your information, together with a copy of this report and copies of statements for the information of the Coroner.

(S.E.COX)
Detective Inspector.

A.C.C., C.I.D. Submitted.

(F. MUAT)
Asst. Supt. C.I.D. (OPS)