Ray Strong saw it all as a peacekeeper in Cyprus in 1964.
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The then Brisbane-based CIB detective was one of 40 Australian police seconded to the island, 80km south of Turkey. Following training at Fairbairn RAAF and Duntroon in Canberra, the United Nations peacekeeping force walked into a world of volatility.
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The British had ruled the island until 1961 but now the Greek Cypriots were in at war with the Turkish Cypriots over political power. In December, 1963, the Greeks attacked the Turks, resulting in many deaths and desecration of mosques and other places of worship.
"In the first year we had a lot of murders and shooting," he said.
"...At first they armed us with .45 revolvers but as peacekeepers, we refused to wear them and got on a lot better."
The UN's liaison officer to the Turkish, Major Edward Macey, was shot and his body never recovered. His driver, Leonard Platt, was also killed.
The peacekeepers stayed in the village, Ayois Theodoros, with Greeks on one side and Turks on the other. Each day they'd meet the local mayor about any problems and report them to UN headquarters in Nicosia. In quieter times the officers would distribute chocolates to Turkish and Greek children.
Mr Strong ended his secondment a year later but the peacekeeping mission became the longest in Australian history, only ending in 2017.
The Goulburn man is one of seven featured in a new exhibition, War and Peace, at the Mulwaree War Museum. Volunteers Leone Morgan and Bill Needham and Friends of the Museum compiled the display.
Goulburn RSL Sub Branch president, Mal Ritchie, opened the exhibition on Tuesday, saying it gave a valuable insight into peacekeepers' role.
It features photos, medals, memorabilia and information about the local men's contribution.
They include spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), James Elder, who served most recently in Ukraine. He joined UNICEF in 2002 and undertook emergency stints in Darfur, Somalia, Kenya, Mozambique, Libya and Sri Lanka.
"When I first got to Ukraine, everywhere I'd look I'd see people having what might be their final embrace," Mr Elder wrote.
"I'd see the dads trying to explain to their children why the men had to stay. I'd see the parents being really strong and trying to avoid stress on their children, but sometimes they'd crack."
Robert McLaren, a Museum volunteer, is also recognised for his RAAF service in Sinai with the Multinational Force and Observers in 1982.
So too is Cameron Brown, who served in Namibia in 1989 with 17 Construction Squadron as part of the UN Transition Assistance Group. There, the carpenter helped build refugee camps.
James Harmer did two tours of East Timor from 1999 to 2002 and then the Solomon Islands from June to December, 2008 as a military peacekeeper.
Peter Ryman served in the Australian Army Mission of Support in East Timor.
Meantime, Peter Greaves fondly remembers his time in The Solomon Islands from February to August, 2010.
He had served with the Australian Army from 1975 until 1983 and later, the Army Reserve from 1999 to 2016.
In 2010 he volunteered to help manage the 'green fleet' or military vehicle workshop in the Solomon Islands.
"It was a really good experience," Mr Greaves said.
"I spend all my life training to go somewhere and serve. It was the best thing I ever did. I was in another country helping people and it gave me a good feeling."
The former Mulwaree High School student said he was honoured to be part of the exhibition.
Ms Morgan told The Post the museum curated the display because many people didn't realise the role peacekeepers played.
"We have a variety of subjects, from police, military and United Nations," she said.
"The museum changes its exhibition every year to keep things fresh and draw people back."
The volunteers undertook extensive research as part of the work.
In addition, the exhibition features wartime souvenirs either brought home by soldiers or by loved ones who later visited Australian battlefields such as Gallipoli and The Somme. There is also a special display of Goulburn mementoes awarded to returning soldiers by the then Municipality of Goulburn.
The display continues until March, 2024. The Museum is open every Sunday from 2pm to 4pm. For more information contact 4821 2587.
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