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Those known to have fought in Invasion of Iceland during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
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Want to know more about Invasion of Iceland? There are:34 items tagged Invasion of Iceland available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Sgt. William Howie 11th Btn. Durham Light Infantry My father, William Howie, was conscripted into the Royal Scots Fusiliers (in Churchill Barracks, Ayr) in April 1940 but was transferred en-masse to the 11th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry in June 1940 just prior to sailing to Iceland, possibly from Liverpool, on the troop ship Sobieski.
He was, like most of the troops in Iceland, bored with nothing much to do most of the time. Ever since that time, he had an absolute hatred of tinned pilchards in tomato sauce as well as corned beef.
He returned to the UK around December 1941 and moved around with the Battalion to various training camps (of which I have a few pictures) until D-Day plus 6 when he arrived in Normandy where he fought at Rouray then on to Belgium. His unit did not enter Germany but looked after POWs and/or helped distribute food and medicines in and around Brussels.
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S/Sgt. Louis Nick Saites BSM Co. B, 1st Btn. 10th Infantry Regiment     Thirteen months before Pearl Harbor was attacked, my father Louis Saites joined the Army at the age of sixteen. Life at home was not always easy and that prompted Louis to join the Army. He didn’t have his father’s permission, which was required, so he lied about his age. He needed proof of age and he offered his Greek baptismal certificate, which he had altered. He changed his birth year to make himself two years older. Despite the poor job he did in amending the date, the Army accepted it. So at sixteen, he was a private in the United States Army assigned to the 5th Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Co. G.
Louis was 18 when he was assigned to an intelligence unit in Reykjavik, Iceland. He arrived on 16th of September 1941. His job in intelligence was to befriend and get close to Icelandic persons who were suspected of spying for the Germans. Investigating one specific suspect proved very difficult. Louis went to great lengths to discover what he could about the man's activities, even dating the man's daughter while trying to gain entrance to their house. When he was still unable to get into the house, Louis decided to marry the daughter. Finally gaining entrance to the suspect's home, Louis was able to confirm the man was indeed aiding the Germans as a spy.
On 20 August 1942, Louis was reassigned to the 5th Infantry Division, 10th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Co. B and remained in intelligence. The 5th Division was transferred to the European Theater, and his military records show that he arrived in England on 8th of August 1943.
In England and later North Ireland, his work in intelligence was searching for German sympathizers among his fellow soldiers. He felt good that none was ever found. During the two years he was in Great Britain, he also participated in infantry training as the U.S. and the British prepared for the D-Day invasion.
The 5th Infantry Division landed in Normandy on Utah Beach on 10th of July 1944. Over the next several weeks, the 5th Division participated in numerous successful attacks, advancing from Normandy to Reims and seizing the city on 30 August 1944. The last battle that Louis fought in was the Battle of Fort Driant. It was during the Battle of Fort Driant that Louis, now a 20-year old staff sergeant, was captured on 7th of October 1944. He had been wounded and had shrapnel in his leg when he took refuge with a group of fellow soldiers. They were hiding in a small bunker built into the side of a mound of earth when they were overtaken by a tank command and forced to surrender.
As a prisoner of war, Louis was initially processed at Stalag XII-A in Limburg, Germany. He was interrogated and assigned prisoner number 93244. It wasn’t long before he was shipped by train to Stalag III-C in Alt-Drewitz, Brandenburg, Prussia, now Poland. They travelled in cattle cars that were so full they were all forced to stand the entire way. Life at Stalag III-C was a very difficult experience. It was at this camp that he was not only interrogated but also tortured. Conditions at the prison were very bad. They had little to eat, and what food they did get was awful. They ate weeds, bugs, and mice to augment their diet. Housing was in wooden buildings with very little heat and they were given only one blanket for protection against the harsh winter. After several months of internment, the prisoners learned the Soviet Army was approaching and the Germans were planning to move the prisoners towards Berlin.
On the 30th or 31st of January 1945, the Russian Army was nearing the prison camp and the Germans forced the prisoners out of the camp. They were on a forced march when they were suddenly fired upon by the Russians. Louis and another man were near the end of the line of prisoners and took advantage of the chaos to run into the woods. They were able to make their way to a farm and the Polish farmer gave them a couple of bicycles. Travelling away from the camp, they finally met up with the Russian Army and travelled with them to Odessa. After a long period of travelling from Odessa to Egypt, to Malta, to France, and then to Naples, Italy, he was finally sent home.
His military records note that he participated in three European Campaigns: Normandy, North France, and Rhineland. He also received his first Combat Infantry Badge. After a 59-day furlough at home in Lansing, Michigan, he returned to duty and was honorably discharged on 10 July 1945. He reenlisted on 10th June 1946 and remained in the Army until retiring in 1962.
During his service Louis earned the following: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Presidential Unit Citation (2), Prisoner of War Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Europe/African/Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Battle Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal 1945-1990, National Defense Service Medal, Korea Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and United Nations Service Medal. In addition, he received two Combat Infantry Badges and eight Overseas Bars.
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Albert Edward Jeffrey DFC. MiD. Ted Jeffrey joined the RAF in 1938 and was first stationed at RAF Locking in Somerset which I believe was the No 1 Radio School then. I was born while my dad was in Iceland.
He served in bomber command and Coastal command.
Some of the time at St. Eval in Cornwall and after the war at RAF Thornhill in what was then Southern Rhodesia.
After he left the RAF he had a radio and TV shop in Wadebridge and lived in Padstow, Cornwall with my mother until his death in 2010 at the age of 95.
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Tom Charlesworth Jackson 69th (West Riding) Field Regiment Royal Artillery Whilst sorting out personal papers of my mother's, I came across a letter from her brother Tom Jackson to his parents. The letter has Iceland Wed.31 in the heading (no year). It's just a general letter informing his parents of his safe arrival and says the place is not so bad but going into shops is a bit of a devil with the foreign money and the lingo. Tom requested some razor blades and a sheath knife be sent over. He says letters were now censored so he couldn't tell them what he thought of Adolph, the so and so.
He ends with
Cheerio all my love,
Your loving son, Tom
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Cpl. Kenneth Thornton Farnell 273rd Bty. 69th Field Regiment Royal Artillery Kenneth Farnell served from the Territorial Army straight into the war and served in France, Germany, and Iceland. In France, he was nearly blown up when the truck he and his mates had been riding took a direct hit from an artillery shell while he was relieving himself by the roadside. All his mates were killed. He was buried under the debris for almost three days before being rescued.
He also broke both arms after falling off a motorcycle while travelling between sites. After the accident, he remounted the bike and returned to camp unaware that he had broken his arms.
He later served as a chauffeur in Iceland and was present at the declaration and signing of the peace treaty at the end of the war.
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Dvr. Alfred Conway 922nd Company, A Section Royal Army Service Corps Alfred Conway erved in Iceland in Operation Alabaster from 27th of July 1940 to 15th of March 1942 and then in Northwest Europe from 16th of June 1944 to 5th of May 1946.
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Major. Kenneth Wilis McHarg 6th Btn. Duke of Wellingtons (West Riding) Regiment (d.16th June 1944) Ken McHarg was the only son of Mr and Mrs William Stewart McHarg (mother Hannah Stangoe Willis) of Nab Wood Drive, Shipley. Born 1914 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He was keen on sports and was the winner of the Territorial Cup in the Open Golf Championship held in York in 1939. He went to Shrewsbury School and won 14 sports' trophies.
In 1941 he married Patricia Thornton, daughter of Mrs and Col. W. H. Thornton M.C, T.D., Officer commanding 4th Battalion, Home Guard.
He spent 2 years in Iceland as adjutant for his regiment. He was presented with a huskie dog by a Norwegian unit whilst there.
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Pte. Henry William "Joe" Turner My dad Henry Turner didn't speak too much about his war experience and what little he did was mostly amusing little stories.
All I know is that he signed up in 1938 when he was only sixteen but said he was eighteen.
He was sent to Iceland in 1940 and I know that he fought in Normandy through France and the low countries.
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L/Cpl. George Johnson 10th Btn. Durham Light Infantry (d.15th September 1940) George Johnson was my Uncle George on my father's side. He is buried in
Reykjavik (Fossvogur) Cemetery, Iceland.
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Sgt. Jack Middleton York and Lancaster Regiment Jack Middleton went to Norway with the Polar Bears. He was rescued by the Navy boat torpedo Resoagain.
He then spent 2 years in Iceland, then Yarmouth, Normandy and Nijmegen, Holland.
He was wounded somewhere in his arm and woke up in Wakefield Hospital. After his discharge he went back to Holland.
I am his wife, but he spoke very little about his experiences.
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