Before the War, Iceland was ruled by the Danish crown, but when Germany invaded Denmark on 9th April 1940, all communication between Iceland and Denmark was instantly severed. Iceland took back its sovereignty that day, and never returned to Danish rule. They elected a provisional governor, Sveinn Björnsson, who went on to become Iceland’s first president when it formally severed ties with Denmark and declared independence on 17 June 1944.
Iceland maintained its neutrality throughout the War, so on 10 May 1940, British military took Iceland from Germany. Iceland did not resist either occupation, having only 70 armed police to defend it, but did protest its occupation. Iceland eventually reached an agreement with the Allies, and foreign servicemen were welcomed as “guests”, before Allied troops left Iceland in July 1941 and America (still officially neutral) moved forces in, by agreement with Iceland, to take over its defence. The US Navy remained at a base in Keflavík until 2006 (pictured below, arrival of British troops).
Iceland’s occupation brought an incredible boost to the economy, which had been crippled by the Great Depression. To many Icelanders, WW2 is actually known as blessað stríðið – “the blessed war”. The foreign military’s presence created significant employment opportunities and dramatically upscaled Iceland’s infrastructure and technology. Finding only dirt roads and no airports, Allied troops built tarmacked roads and airports, including Iceland’s biggest and most important today – Keflavík International Airport. Iceland also sold large quantities of fish to Britain, in spite of Nazi-Germany’s embargo and the risk of U-boat attacks.
With Allied soldiers flooding Reykjavík’s restaurants and cafes, occupation had a huge social and cultural impact on Iceland’s then 120,000 population. At the height of occupation, military personnel outnumbered Iceland’s entire male population. There was particular concern over romances between Icelandic women and foreign soldiers. The phenomenon had its own name – ástandið, meaning “the condition” or “the situation”. The Minister of the Judiciary actually appointed a committee to address the matter, but had little success.
Over 200 Icelandic seamen were killed in Nazi German submarine attacks during the war. In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck sank the British vessel, HMS Hood (pictured below), off Westfjords’ coast, killing 1,415 men, including William Harding from Allerton Bywater, and leaving only three survivors. The gunfire during this battle could be heard 200 miles away in Reykjavík.
Kippax had 12 men based in Iceland at one point, including Harry Steel, Clifford Smith, Charles Bellwood, Jack Collett, Ernest Bailey, Ernest Barrett, John Batley, George Bradley, Leonard Winn, Fred Ingle. Harry Gilpin is remembered in these displays, and also served in Iceland.
The Reykjavík Fossvogur Cemetery has two war graves plots containing a total of 199 commonwealth burials, including German soldiers, Norwegians, and one Russian soldier.
Kippax Roll of Honour 