Any time I travel within Nova Scotia, Canada or overseas, I always make an effort to visit war grave sites or other locations relating to WWI and WWII, this trip to Iceland is no different. I do this, not because I want to, but because I need to.
Today I had the privilege of spending the morning at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) plot within Reykjavík (Fossvogur) Cemetery.
Over the
years I have walked over the meticulous grounds of many dozens of CWGC
cemeteries, and admired vast memorials to the missing in Canada and Europe.
Each remarkable location provides an ongoing source of pride, sanctity, and I think hope
for the families left behind. Those sites of peace and remembrance are some of the most beautiful and tragic places that could ever be visited.
To the many who have never had the opportunity to visit such locations or sites, and
only viewed them in pictures or video, you will never know it until you felt the
breeze, and walked between the rows of gravestones, or looked up at what seems
endless columns of names engraved on memorials, just how profound those
deaths were in the provision of the lifestyle that we all now enjoy today.
For the airmen,
sailors and soldiers from Canada, New Zealand, Britain, Australia, Norway and
Russia, who I left behind at Fossvogur today, and the tens of thousands of
others I have spent time with in past years ~ they just want a moment of remembrance
~ that’s all it takes ~ in the words of John McCrae ~ "
Iceland and WWII ~
At the
beginning of WWII, Iceland was a sovereign kingdom in a personal union with
Denmark, with King Christian X as the head of state.
During the
1930’s with war looming, the British government was alarmed by Germany's growing interest in
Iceland. Then when the war began in September 1939, Denmark along with Iceland declared neutrality, and restricted visits to the island by military vessels and aircraft of the
belligerents. Following Germany’s invasion of Denmark on 9 April 1940, Iceland
opened a legation in New York City. During this period Iceland did not
closely enforce those restricted limitations within its territorial waters, and even slashed
funding to its Coast Guard.
By using a naval
blockade, Britain imposed strict export controls on Icelandic goods, preventing
profitable shipments to Germany, and offered assistance to Iceland, while seeking
cooperation "as a belligerent and an ally", but Reykjavík declined
and reaffirmed its neutrality. The German diplomatic presence in the country,
along with the island's strategic importance, deeply concerned the British.
After a few failed attempts at persuading the Icelandic government by
diplomatic means to join the Allies and become a co-belligerent in the war
against the Germany, Britain under the code name Operation Fork, invaded the
island on 10 May 1940. This date was also significant in Britain and Europe, because
on this same day Winston Churchill became Prime Minister, and Germany first employed its blitzkrieg
tactics, which marked the beginning of the massive western offensive through
the Ardennes, with the invasion of France along with neutral Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The invasion and occupation of Iceland was one of Churchill’s first actions as Prime Minister. Iceland’s location gave it a strategic position during what was to be the longest battle of WWII ~ The Battle of the Atlantic. The battle was fought between the German U-Boats, and the Navies of Britain and Canada (RN and RCN), who patrolled with and provided protection for the Atlantic Merchant Navy conveys. By May 1940 with the battle raging and Iceland’s continued refusal to join Allies, Britain had no choice but to invade and occupy the country, the action caused much annoyance in Iceland. If Britain had delayed and Iceland was instead invaded and occupied by Germany, the fear in London was the Battle of the Atlantic would be lost, resulting in many aspects to the complete starvation of Britain. Under such a scenario, with full German control of the North Atlantic, Britain would have lost the war, there would have been no D-Day, and Europe would never have been liberated.
The initial
invasion force of 746 British Royal Marines from 10 May, was replaced on 17th
by two regular army brigades. It is noted that the only resistance to the
British invasion, was a local Icelander who grabbed the rifle of a Royal Marine, and
proceeded to stuff the gun barrel with his cigarette, then followed up with the
words ~ ‘be careful with that ..”
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| British troops "invade" under the watchful eyes of Icelandic civilians. |
By June
1940, with the realistic threat of an invasion by Germany upon Britain (Operation
Sea Lion), the British forces returned to Britain, and were relieved by three
Canadian battalions ~ the Royal Regiment of Canada, the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa and
the Fusiliers Mont-Royal.
By March
1941, when the German invasion threat against Britain was lessoned, by the success
of the Battle of Britain during summer 1940, the Canadians were drawn down to
be replaced by the British 49th Infantry Division. On 25 July 1941 as part of the
continuing occupation, my relative Hugh Wright a Royal Engineer attached to the
49th went over to Iceland ~ tragically later in the war on 21 October 1944, he
was killed near the Dutch border in Wuustwezel, Belgium, and was later buried
at the CWGC cemetery in Leopoldsburg ~ Hugh was my fifth serving relative killed as a result of WWI and WWII.
During
their time in Iceland the 49th, in addition to keeping the Germans out, did
winter warfare training and built a lot of infrastructure that is still in
place today, including Reykjavik Domestic Airport ~ this effort was known by
the locals as Bretavinna or “Brit Labour”.
On 7 July 1941 while still a
neutral country, the United States began to send troops to
support the British garrison. The 49th Infantry Division were eventually
fully relieved by the Americans, so they could return to Britain for home
defense, and training for the future invasion of Europe (D-Day). My relative Hugh
returned to Britain on 11 April 1942. Due to their service in Iceland, the 49th
were forever known as “The Polar Bears” and wore a polar bear shoulder patch.
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| From Hugh's service photo |
On 17 June 1944 while still under the friendly Allied occupation, Iceland dissolved its union with Denmark, and the Danish monarchy by declaring itself a republic, which it remains to this day. The German occupying forces in Denmark surrendered on 4 May, just days before the full German unconditional surrender in Europe on 7 May. On 5 May, British forces entered Denmark, solidifying the liberation to take over from the Germans.
The 49th Infantry Division, "The Polar Bears" in Iceland ~
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| This picture shows Polar Bears in their Bren carriers, on exercise in the north of Iceland near Akureyri, May 1941. Note the original Divisional "Polar Bear" emblem on the carrier; the stalking Polar Bear with its lowered head ~ at Winston Churchill's suggestion, this would later give way to the revised emblem, showing a roaring polar bear with a raised head |
 |
Prime Minister Winston Churchill
inspects the Polar Bears at Kaldadarnes (near Selfoss),
Iceland, 16 August 1941 |
During their time in Iceland many of the occupation forces including from the 49th Infantry Division died of illness, injuries, accidents and even suicide, and were buried at one of the country’s six Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) sites located around the island. They are ~ my location today at Reykjavík (Fossvogur) Cemetery just south of the capital, and ~
In the north at Akureyri Cemetery with 14 Polar Bears and 3 from the Royal Navy ...
Below are 17 randomly chosen graves from a possible 33 of the British occupying force from the 49th Infantry Division, the Polar Bears at Reykjavík (Fossvogur) Cemetery. Exactly 12 months ago, I visited many Polar Bear graves in Normandy including at Fontenay-le-Pesnel War Cemetery. Those buried at Fontenay-le-Pesnel died in fighting alongside Canadians, during Operation Martlet, the first phase of Operation Epsom, in the successful effort to take the City of Caen. Many of those who now lie in Normandy would also have served in Iceland.
Captain John Dales Proudlock
West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) 1/5th Bn.
Service Number: 75624
Died 18 May 1940, aged 28
Son of Edmund Arcangelo Proudlock and Emily Proudlock; husband of Charlotte Thurlow Proudlock, of Roundhay, Leeds, Yorkshire. A.I.B.
REMEMBERED ALWAYS WITH LOVE AND GREAT PRIDE BY HIS WIFE CHARLOTTE AND SON NOEL
Private George Davis Houston
Service Number: 3133977
Durham Light Infantry 11th Bn.
Died 2 January 1941, aged 20
Corporal Norman Woods
Service Number: 4449482
Durham Light Infantry 11th Bn.
Died 2 January 1941, aged 27
Private John Sime McEwan
Service Number: 3133892
Durham Light Infantry 11th Bn.
Died 1 January 1941, aged 25
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander McEwan, of Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire.
YEARS HAVE GONE AND DAYS GO BY, JOHN, BUT STILL WE REMEMBER YOU
Service Number: 4615458
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1/6th Bn.
Died 2 October 1940, aged 21
Son of Allan and Sarah Ann Green, of
Sutton-in-Craven, Yorkshire.
OF SUTTON-IN-CRAVEN, YORKSHIRE
Lance Corporal George Johnson
Service Number: 4453144
Durham Light Infantry 10th Bn.
Died 15 September 1940, aged 19
Son of Edith Eveline Forbes, of Walker, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
MEMORIES EVERLASTING OF MY BELOVED SON GEORGE. MAY THE LORD WATCH OVER HIM
Private Albert Dewhirst
Service Number: 4531415
West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) 1/5th Bn.
Died 12 June 1940, aged 32
Husband of Emily May Dewhirst, of Keighley, Yorkshire.
LOVING MEMORIES OF A DEAR HUSBAND AND DADDY EVER IN OUR THOUGHTS. EM. & KATHRYN
Private Robert Crichton
Service Number: 3192154
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1/6th Bn.
Died 23 February 1941, aged 21
Son of George Hood Crichton and Euphemia Joyce Crichton, of Whitburn, West Lothian.
YOU HAVE LEFT A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY AND TO US WHO LOVED YOU IT WILL NEVER GROW OLD
Lance Corporal William Harry Rodgers
Service Number: 4538578
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1/6th Bn.
Died 28 February 1941, aged 18
Son of Harry and Agnes Rodgers, of York.
GOD IN HIS MERCY WILL TEND WITH CARE THE SOUL OF OUR LOVED ONE. MAM, DAD AND FAMILY
Signalman Tom Brook
Service Number: 2582671
Royal Corps of Signals 49th Div. Sigs.
Died 22 April 1941, aged 26
Private Thomas Wilfred Allison
Service Number: 4458107
Durham Light Infantry 10th Bn.
Died 15 June 1941, aged 22
Son of George and Monica Allison, of Startforth, Yorkshire.
AT REST.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Private John William Sherratt
Service Number: 4617179
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1/6th Bn.
Died 22 July 1941, aged 22
Corporal Brian George Ross
Service Number: 1890581
Royal Engineers 29 Field Coy.
Died 30 July 1941, aged 22
Son of G. J. J. Ross, and of May A. Ross, of Purley, Surrey.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF A DEAR SON AND BROTHER. HIS LIFE A TREASURED MEMORY
Private Charles Marsh
Service Number: 4454288
Durham Light Infantry 10th Bn.
Died 15 September 1941, aged 20
Private Walter Alfred Lingard
Service Number: 4616871
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1/6th Bn.
Died 20 October 1941, aged 23
Son of Walter and Louisa Lingard, of Harrogate, Yorkshire.
YEARS CANNOT DIM THE MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SON
Lance Corporal THOMAS FREDERICK COTTERELL
Service Number: 1919991
Royal Engineers 711 Gen. Constr. Coy.
Died 16 February 1942, aged 29
Son of Harry and Nellie Cotterell; husband of Daisy Emily Cotterell, of Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire.
Private John Alan Loveridge
Service Number: 4615633
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) 1/6th Bn.
Died 14 April 1942, aged 25
Son of Charles Alan and Jane Loveridge; husband of Edith Loveridge, of Leeds, Yorkshire.
TWO LINKS DEATH CANNOT SEVER, LOVE AND REMEMBRANCE IS OURS FOR EVER
In addition to the Polar Bears, the CWGC cemeteries in Iceland, also have casualties from the Commonwealth Merchant Navies, the RN and RCN. There are also many graves of airmen (I counted 104 at CWGC Fossvogur) from the RAF, RCAF, RAAF and RNZAF, some of whom were part of the RAF Ferry Command out of Gander in Newfoundland. Those aircrews lost their lives in air accidents while ferrying Canadian and American built aircraft across the Atlantic to Prestwick, Scotland, with Iceland being a fueling and rest stop. Other serving Commonwealth airmen stationed in Iceland, provided a defensive chain across the Atlantic, in the protection of merchant shipping (the conveys) during the Battle of the Atlantic.
The two CWGC plots within the civil Reykjavík (Fossvogur) Cemetery has 206 WWII casualties. Four of these burials were made in the summer of 2000, when weather conditions in 1999 made it possible to recover remains from an aircraft that had crashed into a glacier in 1941. Of the Commonwealth burials at Fossvogur, there are 140 British, 47 Canadian, 5 Australians, and 5 New Zealanders. In addition, under the care of the CWGC, there are 8 Norwegian war graves and one Soviet (Russian), and also 8 non-war burials.
The four airmen recovered then buried in 2000 ~
Below is the reproduced article published on 26 August 2000 in the British newspaper The Guardian,
about the recovery in 1999 of the four airmen now buried at Reykjavík
(Fossvogur) Cemetery ~
After 59
years, the airmen lost in an icy tomb are finally remembered …..
Silhouetted
against the sky, the propeller blade jutted out of the glacier like a tombstone
marking the grave of the four RAF men. Awestruck by the sight of a thousand
pieces of aircraft wreckage strewn over the frozen wasteland, Horour Geirsson
asked his team to stop. The Icelandic historian was momentarily lost for words,
then managed to utter the Lord's Prayer for the crew whose death came violently
and swiftly. Until now, their bodies had been entombed in ice for 60 years. For
Mr. Geirsson, this week marked the end of a 20-year mission to locate the
Fairey Battle bomber which crashed in dense fog in 1941, 3000ft up a remote
mountain in northern Iceland.
The warmest
Icelandic summer for 30 years had melted several metres of ice to reveal the
burial spot. Mr. Geirsson, together with a six-strong RAF team aided by two local
guides, used a Sea King helicopter to reach the crash site where the wartime
flyers were left in makeshift graves after the crash. During the three-day
operation, the team, led by Squadron Leader Nick Barr, of RAF Kinloss in
Morayshire, Scotland, braved temperatures of -10C to recover the bodies. On
arrival, they found the scene remarkably well-preserved with personal
belongings of the air crew still littering the crash site.
Poignant
reminders of the men who perished included tins of corned beef, an airman's
perfectly preserved uniform jacket and a watch belonging to the pilot, Flying
Officer Arthur Round, aged 26. A simple inscription on the back of the watch read:
"14.2.34 to Arthur Round from Dad". Other personal effects included
a charred leather belt, toothbrushes, razors and a wallet containing Icelandic
coins bent from the force of the aircraft smashing into the mountain at 250
knots.
The
aircraft was one of 18 that arrived from France after the Dunkirk evacuation in
August 1940. In May 1941, it was flown by Flying Officer Round, who came from
Wellington in New Zealand. He was accompanied by Flight Sergeant Reginald
Hopkins, 21. They had just collected Pilot Officer Henry Talbot, 24, and Flight
Sergeant Keith Garret, 22, from a hospital ship, HS Leinster, moored at
Akureyri in north Iceland. The two men had been recovering from injuries
received in a road accident.
Shortly
after takeoff from Reykjavík, the plane hit dense fog during its return journey
to the base at Kaldadarnes airfield. It struck a glacier in the remote mountain
region near Akureyri after the pilot apparently became disorientated. A week
later in 1941, British servicemen accompanied by an Anglican and Catholic
priest, climbed to the crash site and found the bodies and the wreckage. A short
service was held and a wooden cross erected, before the group was forced to turn
back because of deteriorating weather.
Mr.
Geirsson, who works at Akureyri museum, and is a member of the Iceland
Historical Aviation Society, became fascinated after hearing rumours about the
aircraft in 1980. He made more than a dozen visits to the glacier searching for
the plane and without realizing he had walked over the wreckage on several
occasions. Eventually a friend researching the incident at the Public Record
Office in London, came across a report by the original search party complete
with map grid references.
Describing
the moment when he found the plane last August (1999), Mr. Geirsson said:
"We were literally heading for a cross on a map. When we got to the site we
were shocked to find wreckage of the plane, small and large human remains and
personal possessions all perfectly preserved." Last night Mr. Barr
described how his team used helicopters loaned by the Icelandic coastguard and
the American air force. They landed as close as they dared to the site and
hiked for 25 minutes up the mountain. The glacier was more than 3000ft up
and incredibly vast. It had large crevasses and was extremely desolate. The
aircraft wreckage was spread out over a 50-metre radius. When I first saw it I
was amazed at the devastation the crash had created. There was also evidence of
a pretty savage fire. The wreckage included blackened flight instruments down
to the smallest washers. I think everybody was overcome with a feeling of helplessness
that four men had died there. While we contemplated the scene, the only sound
you could hear was the running meltwater from the thawing glacier.
Mr. Barr
said the team started to dig out sections of the plane with ice axes and
painstakingly sifted the debris for signs of human remains. Efforts to dig
deeper were hampered by rock-hard ice which formed an impenetrable layer a foot
below the surface. He added: "It was very hard to distinguish between what
had been parts of the aircraft and what might have been human remains. It was a
combination of rotted damp clothing and possibly some flesh and bones mixed in.
We collected it all and put it carefully into bags."
The team
spent three days digging. They were forced to abandon their mission after two explosions
rocked the glacier as they tried to remove a Browning submachinegun, with 200
rounds of ammunition, and the aircraft's propeller. Corporal Dave Hughes said:
"I started to run towards the rocks thinking it was a UXB that had gone
off. I expected to see the smouldering boots of my colleagues. We later found
out it was cracks opening up in the glacier and that was the sound of the ice
moving beneath our feet. We decided to leave the propeller and get off the
mountain for our own safety."
Extracts from
the official war-time incident report ~
Fairey
Battle Mk.1 P2330 (VO-D), 98 Squadron, RAF Kaldaðarnes, Selfoss, Iceland.
Written off (destroyed) Monday, May 26, 1941. On that date, Wing Commander
Arthur K. Round RAF 98 Squadron flew Fairey Battle VO-D from Kaldaðarnes to
Melgerðismelar.
At noon time he took off for the return to Kaldaðarnes with his Radio Operator and two passengers. When he did not arrive in Kaldaðarnes at the scheduled time, an extensive search was started. The day after (27 May 1941) 5 Battle aircraft from 98 Squadron, 2 Hudsons from 269 Squadron and 1 Beaufort from 22 Squadron participated in the aerial search. The next day P2330/VO-D was found on Vaskárdalsjökull (at approximate coordinates 65°26N 18°34W) on the Tröllaskagi Mountains. Battle P2330/VO-D appeared to have flown into the glacier and blew up. All four occupants were dead. A letter started by Sergeant Talbot was found. No tracks in the snow leading to or from the wreck were found. Officially, Battle P2330 was Struck Off Charge on 11 June 1941 as "missing".
A full military burial and
memorial service was held at the CWGC Fossvogur in Reykjavík for the recovered
crew on 27 August 2000, it was attended by relatives of the dead men, Royal Air
Force officials and dignitaries from several countries. An RAF Nimrod maritime
reconnaissance aircraft from RAF Kinloss in Scotland, followed by an Icelandic
coastguard helicopter, conducted a fly-past over the cemetery as a tribute to
the dead airmen.
The crew ~
Flying Officer Arthur Kavhan Round
Service Number: 36201
Royal Air Force 98 Sqdn. (From New Zealand)
Died 26 May 1941, aged 26
Son of David Henry and Mary Ann Round, of Palmerston North, Wellington,
New Zealand.
Later in the war, Arthur’s brother Pilot Officer Heathcote George
Round, RNZAF was killed on 27 August 1944, when his aircraft crashed on
landing, he is buried at Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, UK.
Flight Sergeant Reginald Albert Hopkins
Service Number: 751763
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 98 Sqdn.
Died 26 May 1941, aged 21
Son of Helen Grace Hopkins, and stepson of Albert Edward Scorey, of
Bitterne, Hampshire.
REG DEAR BROTHER GOD BLESS R.I.P.
Pilot Officer Henry James Talbot
Service Number: 45946
Royal Air Force 98 Sqdn.
Died 26 May 1941, aged 24
Son of Henry James Talbot and Phyllis Talbot, of North Shields,
Northumberland.
EVER REMEMBERED BY THOSE WHO KNEW AND LOVED HIM
Flight Sergeant Keith Garrett
Service Number: 620449
Royal Air Force 98 Sqdn.
Died 26 May 1941, aged 22
Son of Thomas and Lydia Garrett, of Carlton-in-Lindrick,
Nottinghamshire.
IN MEMORY OF A LOVING SON, BROTHER AND UNCLE REMEMBERED ALWAYS REST IN
PEACE
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| A clipping dated 27 August 2000, from the Icelandic newspaper Fréttir, covering the burial of the Fairey Battle crew ~ kindly provided to me by Gísli Jökull Gíslason, an Icelandic author and historian, who has written books about Iceland during WWII |
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| A group photo of RAF 98 Sqdn. in WWII Iceland |
On May 4, 2014, an
expedition from Akureyri (Súlur, björgunarsveitin á Akureyri) along with Deputy Head of Mission at Iceland’s British Embassy, returned to the
crash site and gathered most of the plane wreckage. Many of which are now on
special display at the Flugsafn Islands in Akureyri.
Of the 47 Canadians buried at CWGC Reykjavík (Fossvogur) Cemetery, there are 14 graves of 15 casualties from HMCS Skeena.
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| HMCS Skeena |
The story
of HMCS Skeena ~
It was in
1929, the Canadian Government began negotiations for the delivery of two
new destroyers. At the time Canada only had two in inventory, which like all previous and at the time current naval vessels were hand downs from the British Royal Navy. Although the contract was awarded to
Thornycroft-Woolston Works of Southampton England, these two new vessels were
built to Canadian specifications, including much stronger construction considerations to withstand
winter ice conditions in Canada.
The two
destroyers, HMCS Saguenay and Skeena were delivered in 1931. Both sister ships were named after Canadian rivers, and accordingly became known as
River Class Destroyers. In later years, additional vessels of the same design
were also named after Canadian rivers.
 |
| Skeena's sister ship HMCS Saguenay |
Skeena’s
launching on October 10, 1930 was a memorable occasion. The ship’s bow was
decorated with maple tree branches complete with leaves sent from
Canada. The Prime Minister’s sister, Miss Mildred Bennett, had the honour of
releasing a bottle of Empire wine across the bow. She declared “I name you
Skeena, and wish you and all who sail in you the best luck”. As soon as Skeena
had taken to the water, she was berthed alongside HMCS Saguenay.
HMCS Skeena
was commissioned at Portsmouth on June 10, 1931, then under orders sailed along with HMCS Saguenay for Canada a few weeks later. It was on July 3, that
Saguenay and Skeena entered Halifax Harbour, with steam whistles and air horns
from all types of vessels bursting through the fog announcing their
arrival. The editorial section of the Halifax Herald expressed the hope that
“this country never will need to send them into action”.
Prior to
the war, Skeena served as a training ship for Canada’s small peacetime navy. In
1937 both Skeena and Saguenay represented Canada, at the Spithead Naval Review, for
the Coronation of His Majesty King George VI.
In 1939,
three months before the outbreak of war, their Majesties King George and Queen
Elizabeth paid a visit to Canada, and embarked in Skeena during the maritime
portion of their visit. Upon leaving Canada, the Skeena provided local escort
as the King and Queen returned back to Britain.
With the
outbreak of WWII and Canada's declaration on 10 September 1939, HMCS Skeena was one of only
six destroyers that made up the entire Canadian Naval Force. However by war’s end Canada had risen to the
occasion, and was the third largest navy in the world. Skeena and Saguenay were deemed as the original workhorses of this new wartime navy.
During the
war, HMCS Skeena was credited with the confirmed sinking of German U-Boat U-588. During that
sinking, Skeena along with HMCS Wetaskiwin worked as one, which has been termed ~ "an almost perfect anti-submarine team performance”. They kept in close contact with the
submerged enemy, laying depth charges in near perfect patterns. Skeena and Wetaskiwin are
best remembered in Naval Logs for their famous signals between each other during the battle.
Skeena first signaled "Acts 16 Verse 19″, prompting Wetaskiwin's crew members having to thumb through the ship's bible, she read, "there stood a man…and prayed him saying, come over…and help
us". Wetaskiwin replied "Revelations 13, Verse 1″, which Skeena read as "I saw the
beast rise up out of the sea…and upon his head the name of blasphemy". For hours, both ships laid patterns of depth
charges until a huge explosion was heard underwater. Floating debris, human
remains and wreckage were seen on the surface. Skeena, along with Wetaskiwin were both credited with a kill.
Besides
regular convoy duties, Skeena also participated in the naval part of the D-Day, Operation
Neptune. Skeena was sent into duty in the English Channel a full 24 hours
before the main invasion. Her task was to clear the shipping lanes of enemy
U-boats before other ships left the ports of southern England. Later in July
1944, HMCS Skeena took part in Operation Dredger, a Canadian naval action to
attack German escort ships near Brest and Lorient, France, sinking several
patrol boats and minesweepers. Then a few weeks later in August, under the code
name Operation Kinetic, Skeena took part in the British/Canadian naval
offensive, a major sea-air effort to cripple German shipping in the Bay of
Biscay, cutting off supplies to besieged forces in France. During this action, they successfully sunk U-boats, destroyers, and merchant ships, significantly aiding the Allied
breakout from Normandy.
HMCS Skeena
won battle honours for her duty in the North Atlantic, her actions against the
enemy in the English Channel, and for her role during the D-Day landings in
Normandy. However she is seldom recognized for her battle honours, or for her
confirmed kill of enemy U-boats, but is instead remembered for how she met a
tragic end in Iceland ...
On October
24, 1944, HMCS Skeena was employed with Escort Group 11, an anti-submarine
patrol south of Iceland. During the day an extremely strong gale developed resulting
in very high seas. Due to the worsening conditions, the following Canadian ships, Qu’Appelle, St Laurent, and the Skeena were ordered to proceed to Reykjavík
Harbour to anchor between Engey and Videy Islands. It was around 2230 hours
Skeena completed her anchorage, however due to the volcanic ash sea bottom, the
holding ground was adverse.
Just before midnight the jarring motion of the ship woke the officers and men who had already retired to their bunks. The fierce North Atlantic storm caused Skeena to drag her anchor, as she was blown and smashed on the shores of Videy Island.
The ship
yawed in the great swells, and was lifted in amongst the off-shore rocks stern
first. Then huge waves caught Skeena and swung her broadside onto a reef some
ninety yards from the shores of the island. With the ship pounding heavily, extensive
flooding set in. The 15-foot high seas mixed with escaping fuel oil were coming
over the entire ship. The forward part of the ship was being held firmly as the
stern of the ship moved about. The men and officers were in grave danger as the
ship was beginning to break up. Fearful that Skeena was going to roll over,
explode, or break up amongst the rocks, men hearing the call to abandon ship, left Skeena by using Carley Floats. With waves mixed with fuel
oil, crashing over the entire ship, this caused the Carley Floats to become adrift.
Eventually two floats
drifted away carrying men into the darkness, and a third overturned sending men
into the cold icy water. It was no more than five minutes later the call to abandon ship was cancelled, with all remaining hands ordered to stay
aboard. The captain had determined that further attempts to abandon the ship, would result in further loss of life, so he decided to accept the risk, and keep the
remaining crew members aboard the stranded ship.
The hours
between midnight and daylight were a period of extreme danger. All night the
ship twisted and turned, grinding on the rocks of Videy Island. During the attempts to
reach the safety of the island, which was less than 100 yards away, the men aboard the Carley Floats either
drowned or died from exposure in the wet and freezing conditions. In the
morning a line was secured ashore, and with the assistance of Icelander Einar
Sigurdsson and his Icelandic rescue party, the crew were pulled from the ship and
dragged onto the shores of the island.
The result ~ the 15 crew members who had left Skeena were dead, another 35 found themselves recovering in
a US military hospital, suffering from shock and immersion. Of the 15 who died,
one body was never recovered.
Photos of HMCS Skeena, taken by a Royal Navy sailor seven months later, still on the rocky shore of Videy Island ~
Three days after the loss on 28 October 1944, the funeral for the 14 dead of Skeena who were recovered took place. The men were buried with full naval honours in the war section of the Fossvogur Cemetery in Reykjavík.
The US Army was going to provide wooden coffins to the Canadians, however the British Naval Authorities
refused their use. Wood was an extremely scarce commodity in Iceland, and it was determined that it should not be wasted. So, the bodies were wrapped in the naval white ensign, and carried to
the graveside by surviving members of the Skeena crew. The oldest among the
dead was 30, the youngest 19, with most men in their twenties.
Over 500 personnel, made up of men from the St Laurent, Qu’Appelle and other Canadian ships in Reykjavík, attended the funeral. Services were read and a firing party discharged their salute, the Last Post and Reveille were sounded. It has been written and recorded that this was the most impressive funeral ever seen in Iceland.
Canadian Newspaper clips covering the tragedy of HMCS Skeena ~
The 14 casualties of HMCS Skeena who are buried at Fossvogur Cemetery in Reykjavík ~
Able Seaman Kenneth William Stewart
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/36475
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 21
Steward Edward Julian Pressner
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/45330
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 23
Son of Joseph and Victoria Pressner, of
Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED SON AND BROTHER
MAY HE REST IN PEACE
Steward Archie Apostolos
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/44615
Died 25 October, 1944 on his 30th birthday
Born 25 October 1914, Salonkia, Greece
Enlisted 7 August 1942 in Ontario
Leading Seaman James Ernest Silk
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/19493
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 24
Son of Henry Herbert and Rose Silk; husband of
Inez Edna Silk, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
A TOKEN OF LOVE AND REMEMBRANCE OF ONE WE SHALL NEVER FORGET
Able Seaman Gordon Davidson
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/55130
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 19
Son of Herbert C. and Janet C. Davidson, of
Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
IN LIFE, IN DEATH, O LORD, ABIDE WITH ME
Leading Signalman Ralph Gardiner Hancock
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/13220
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 25
Able Seaman Lloyd Austin Gabourel
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/63956
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 19
Born 3 July 1925, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Son of Austin Gabourel, and of Erna Gabourel,
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
TO MEMORY EVER DEAR. IF LOVE COULD SAVE THOU
HADST NOT DIED
Able Seaman Joseph Neil Johnston
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/44249
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 22
Able Seaman Joseph Frank Janos
Royal Canadian Navy
Service Number: 4408
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 21
Birth 23 February 1923, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada
Son of Francis Janos of Canmore, Alberta. Husband of Agnes
Janos.
Able Seaman Leonard Watson
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/46243
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 21
Son of Robert Frederick and Edith May Watson,
of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
WE DO NOT THINK OF YOU AS DEAD BUT JUST A FEW
SHORT STEPS AHEAD
Cook (S) Desmond Bert William Cook
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/51070
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 20
Born 12 September, 1924, Renton, Ontario, Canada
Enlistment 20 November, 1942
Able Seaman Abraham Unger
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/39733
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 21
Son of Jacob J. and Judith Unger, of McMahon,
Saskatchewan, Canada
Coder Ritchie Oulton Seath
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/23611
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 24
Son of Andrew Whitton Seath and Josephine Mintzer Seath, of St. Lambert, Province of Quebec, Canada
THE FLAG STILL FLIETH AT THE MASTHEAD
Able Seaman Melvin Newton Ellis
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/50983
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 22
Son of Alvin and Elizabeth Ellis, of Bathurst,
New Brunswick, Canada.
ASLEEP IN JESUS
Leading Seaman Joseph Frederic Andre Blais
Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: V/4777
Died 25 October, 1944 aged 20
Son of Aime and Stella Blais, of Montreal,
Province of Quebec, Canada
The Australians and New Zealanders buried at Fossvogur Cemetery in Reykjavík. A long way from home, their journey ended far from where it began ~
Aircraftman 1st Class Douglas John Buckle
Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 14938
Died 27 August 1941, aged 19 ~ Illness, Iceland
Born 29 March 1922, Marrickville, New South
Wales, Australia
Son of Douglas Gordon and Clara Ettie Buckle,
of Engadine, New South Wales, Australia.
"IN HIS STEPS"
Flight Sergeant Evariste Pierre Dubois
Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 402982
Died 29 January 1943, aged 24 ~ Flying Battle,
Iceland
Born 14 July 1918, Matcham, New South Wales,
Australia
Son of Louis Marc Dubois and Hilda Grace
Dubois, of Gosford, New South Wales, Australia.
FOR SUPREME SACRIFICE
Flight Lieutenant Kenneth David Clarson
Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 405831
Died 7 November 1944, aged 24 ~ Accidental plane crash, Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
Born 7 May 1920, Pialba, Queensland, Australia
Son of Kenneth and Mary Elizabeth Clarson, of
Sandgate, Queensland, Australia; husband of Therese Clarson, of St. Eustache
sur le Lac, Province of Quebec, Canada.
HIS IS THE WAY OF ANGELS
Warrant Officer Benjamin George Blatch
Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 420524
Died 16 July 1944, aged 21 ~ Accidental
(during meteorological air operations), West Iceland, Vesturland, Iceland
Born 23 January 1923, Mittagong, New South
Wales, Australia.
Son of Sidney George and Marjory Janet Blatch,
of Colo Vale, New South Wales, Australia.
TILL WE MEET AGAIN
Warrant Officer Lewis Clement De Garis
Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 417164
Died 16 July 1944, aged 22 ~ Flying Battle,
West Iceland
Born 19 February 1922, Naracoorte, South
Australia, Australia.
Son of Albert Clement De Garis and Edith
Margaret De Garis, of Naracoorte, South Australia.
HE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT
Flying Officer Eric Edgar Stewart
Royal New Zealand Air Force 269 (R.A.F.) Sqdn.
Service Number: 40244
Died 7 December 1941, aged 22 ~ Killed on air
operations
Born 2 December 1919, Invercargill, Southland,
South Island, New Zealand
Son of Robert Arthur and Annie Violet Stewart,
of Winton, Southland, New Zealand.
Flying Officer John Barker Taylor
Royal New Zealand Air Force (Ferry Command)
Service Number: 412764
Died 28 May 1943, aged 28 ~ Crew member of a
Hudson aircraft that crashed in Iceland while being ferried from Canada to
Britain.
Born 30 January 1915, Auckland, New Zealand
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Taylor, of Auckland
City, New Zealand; husband of Gladys M. Taylor, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Flying Officer Arthur Kavhan Round
Royal Air Force 98 Sqdn.
Died 26 May 1941, aged 26 ~ One of the four I
mentioned above, who were buried in August 2000.
Born 12 February 1915, Wellington, New Zealand
Son of David Henry and Mary Ann Round, of
Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand.
Arthur's brother, Heathcote George Round died
on 27 August 1944, aged 27, while flying with the RAF. He is buried at Oxford
(Botley) Cemetery, England.
Warrant Officer Norman George Hickmott
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Service Number: 412880
Died 22 April 1944, aged 27 ~ Killed in an
aircraft accident
Born 14 July 1916, Collingwood, Tasman, New
Zealand
Son of John Charles and Alice Jane Hickmott, of
Aorere, Nelson, New Zealand.
Warrant Officer Trevor Clifford Hosken
Royal New Zealand Air Force
Service Number: 414503
Died 22 April 1944, aged 23 ~ Killed in an
aircraft accident.
Born 4 March 1921, Auckland, New Zealand
Son of Joseph Thomas Hosken and of Gladys
Florence Louisa Hosken (nee Wilson), of Auckland City, New Zealand.
The memorial pictured below commemorates the allied airmen who failed to return during the Battle of the Atlantic. The memorial was gifted by the Icelandic Aeronautical Society, and unveiled by the Duke of Kent. The memorial is located in the Fossvogur cemetery.
My time spent at this location in Iceland today, marks the sixth country in which I have had the enormous privilege of visiting CWGC cemeteries and memorials. I believe there is always a need to visit and write about them as a reminder of the value of freedom, and the importance of democracy, all of which was passed down to us at an extremely high price.
The impact
each visit makes upon me never changes, it is always enormous and emotional. Every name engraved
with such care on a gravestone or onto a memorial to the missing, is a life, each life
had a story, it is a tragic loss to us all that so many will never be told. Those who rest here in Iceland like so many throughout the world are remembered in the quiet rows and stillness, lives interrupted, futures never lived and families forever changed.
The CWGC
has a global footprint, and cares for the graves and memorials of 1.7 million
WWI and WWII servicemen and women, at 23,000 locations in 150 countries and
territories. Each one of those 1.7 million understood the risks, struggled
against the odds, and sacrificed the 20,000 to 25,000
more sunrises they were due. They did this in order to carry out a duty that was largely unknown, or could
be understood by young people today.
Many of
them probably did not want to be in their country's Army, Air Force or Navy, to feel the constant tug of death at their elbows,
they should have been doing the things that I was doing in my late teens and
into my twenties. But there was an evil force loose in the world, and it fell
to them to have to deal with it, because when the challenge came, society said
you have to go there and fight, and they did. It may be possible for us today, to imagine
the sense of responsibility, and fear each of them had heading into the unknown,
but we will never be able to feel it.
We who live today have an unwritten contract with the dead
from past wars and also to those yet to be born, to maintain and pass on a peaceful,
clean and prosperous world ~ unfortunately looking out at that world today, makes
me question how all that is working out …
Below are the eight Norwegians and one Russian who are perpetually under the care of the CWGC at Reykjavík (Fossvogur) Cemetery …
Airman Arne Johannes Taarnesvik
Service Number: 270
Norwegian Air Force 330 Sqdn.
Died 4 November 1942, aged 27
Sailor Finn Moe Olsen
Service Number: 826
Norwegian Navy
Died 10 May 1945, aged 43
Sailor Ornulf Andersen
Service Number: 2776
Norwegian Navy
Died 10 May 1945, aged 34
Soldier Harald Haraldsen
Service Number: 3254
Norwegian Army
Died 26 December 1944, aged 28
Airman Skjalg Tormod Liljedal
Service Number: 736
Norwegian Air Force 330 Sqdn.
Died 17 September 1942, aged 24
Airman Kristian Charles Sivertsen
Service Number: 5088
Norwegian Air Force 330 Sqdn.
Died 17 September 1942, aged 20
Airman Eilif Christian Von Krogh
Service Number: 29
Norwegian Air Force 330 Sqdn.
Died 17 September 1942, aged 27
Airman Jens Kaare Roald
Service Number: 5261
Norwegian Air Force330 Sqdn.
Died 11 December 1941, aged 23
Sailor Aleksander Malley
Russian Merchant Navy, S.S. Friedrich Engels
Died 07 August 1942
Also within the Fossvogur Cemetery is a German Military plot
maintained by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (the German War
Graves Commission).
The grave area a simple site covered by plants and enclosed
by a low wall. Raised plinths bear the names, ranks and relevant dates of the casualties.
A group of three crosses made of Icelandic grey stone stand at the centre of
the site, which was dedicated on November 16, 1958. A basalt plaque is placed
in front of the central cross, with the following inscription ~
Hier Ruhen
17 Deutsche Solaten
Des Krieges
1939-1945
Translates to ~
Here lie
17 German soldiers
of the war
1939-1945
The initial 17 German airmen buried in the cemetery, were the crews of four long-range reconnaissance aircraft that were shot
down over Iceland during 1941, 1942 and 1943. The remains were initially buried at
Brautarholt and Buareyri, then in 1957 were moved to Fossvogur Reykjavik.
On April 27, 2025, the remains of another German airman who
was killed in WWII were buried at the location. He was part of the crew of a
military aircraft that crashed in Iceland during October 1942. An Icelander
with an interest in history, had been investigating the crash site when he found
the remains, which were then handed over by the Icelandic police to the German
Embassy for burial at Fossvogur.
 |
| Manfred Unger died on his 23rd birthday |
In addition to visiting the war graves at Fossvogur today, I
also had the privilege of having a prearranged meeting with Gísli Jökull
Gíslason (or simply Jökull). He has many trades including, a serving police detective
with the Reykjavik Metropolitan Police, history author, lecturer and war game designer. In the past has worked for the Red Cross in
Africa, and also spent time Saskatchewan.
Jökull who is also a CWGC volunteer, has extensive knowledge about Iceland during WWII,
and authored the book “Iceland in World War II: A Blessed War”. Back in
November 2021, he took part in a webinar about Iceland during WWII. The webinar
is available on YouTube using the link below. It runs for just over an hour,
with the last 15 minutes or so being Questions and Answers. It is an excellent
insight into WWII Iceland, a subject that is generally not well known.
Click on the image or link ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6UFoCCDEwE
I always pause a little longer at the following graves of which there are two at Fossvogur ~ "Known Unto God" ...
I always read the family personal inscriptions on CWGC gravestones, this was the saddest one from today for ...
Gunner George Herbert Weeks
Service Number: 6149678
Royal Artillery 6 Maritime Regt.
Died 4 April 1944, aged 27
Son of Sidney Charles and Minnie Laura Weeks, of
Sutton, Surrey; husband of Sophie Elsie Annie Weeks, of Sutton.
HAD YOU KNOWN THIS BOY OF OURS, YOU WOULD HAVE
LOVED HIM TOO
The youngest casualty under the care of the CWGC at Fossvogur ...
Deck Boy Thomas Cuickshanks Dixon
Merchant Navy S.S. Empire Wave (Sunderland).
Died 18 October1941, aged 15
Son of John Dixon, and of Ann Cooper Dixon, of
Sunderland, Co. Durham.
N LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS SAFE IN THE ARMS OF
JESUS. MOTHER, SISTERS & BROTHERS
Below are links to previous related blogs, click on the images or the links ~
Three blog about my relative Hugh Wright, 49th Infantry Division (The Polar Bears), who served in Iceland as part of the British occupation force ...
https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2017/10/hugh-wright.html
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