Young hero’s sister is going to get a medal

IT was a conflict seemingly lost in the mists of time.

Between April 1955 and April 1959, thousands of British troops served in what was known as the Cyprus Emergency.

During the ugly four-year period, the sunshine isle became a bitter, bloody battleground.

The National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters, EOKA, mounted a brutal campaign to have the British removed.

In the fight for what they saw as independence – which was finally granted in 1960 – no holds were barred.

A total of 371 service personnel lost their lives, many of them young men called up for National Service. Among them was Matt Neely.

Glaswegian Matt was just 19 when he was blown up by a bomb as he played a game of football. He died instantly and two other squaddies, also from Glasgow, who were caught in the blast succumbed to their injuries soon afterwards.

We told a few weeks ago how Matt’s sister Margaret Moncur could still remember every awful detail of the October morning in 1956 when the telegram confirming his death arrived. After decades of a lack of recognition, we explained that she was heading for a special ceremony at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire.

A Memorial Rock, brought over from Cyprus, was being unveiled to commemorate the fallen for the first time on these shores.

She was touched to find there was a far bigger gathering than expected at the moving ceremony.

Now Matt is set to be remembered in his home city. Margaret is to be presented with the Elizabeth Cross, given to the next of kin of service personnel killed in action.

The ceremony will be held at Glasgow City Chambers on October 24, 60 years to the fateful day that telegram arrived.

And now, thanks to our story, another of the young Glaswegians who perished could be similarly honoured. We were contacted by Robert Andrew, whose mum Jean is the sister of John Beattie who died the day after the blast.

We put them in touch so the women could share memories of the young heroes they lost.

Now Jean has come forward, she too could receive the Elizabeth Medal in due course – and in the meantime Margaret’s hoping she can have Jean join her for this month’s ceremony.