Unit History: Dhekelia Garrison Cyprus

Dhekelia Garrison is situated within the Eastern Sovereign Base Area, one of two British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, enshrined in the Treaty of Establishment between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus in 1960. Dhekelia itself is on the Northern shore of the wide sweeping Larnaca Bay and is situated some 15 km North East of the important coastal town of Larnaca and 20 km West of Ayia Napa, the premier tourist resort for the club music scene in the Eastern Mediterranean.
 
Within the Eastern Sovereign Base Area there are two British Military sites at Ayios Nikolaos and Dhekelia, the latter being known as a “cantonment”.  It consists of some 7 sq km and is home to the Headquarters of the Eastern Sovereign Base Area, a Resident Infantry Battalion, an Engineer Squadron, a Helicopter Flight and various Logistic Units, as well as UK based civilians and dependents, making a total British population of just over 2,000 people.