Iceland

Country

Iceland /en-us-Iceland. oggˈaɪslənd/, also referred to as Republic of Iceland is a European island country in the north Atlantic Ocean on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km (39,769 sq mi). The capital and the largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country ...

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Documents about Iceland

Monday 4th March 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Rumours of new German bomber operating at 35,000 feet. Unity Mitford refused permission to move to Scottish island

person Anthony Eden

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley

person Samuel Hoare

person Kingsley Wood

person John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon

place Aruba

place Finland

place Iceland

place Caribbean

place Rome

organisation Foreign Office (Germany)

Meeting minutes

extract Secret understanding with Sweden delaying German ore imports at ports and railway stations. Von Ribbentrop to visit Rome

person Anthony Eden

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley

person Samuel Hoare

person Kingsley Wood

person Harold Wilson

person Joachim von Ribbentrop

place Heligoland

place Finland

place Iceland

place Narvik

place Denmark

place Rome

organisation New Zealand Treasury

organisation Minister of Economic Warfare

Monday 1st April 1940

Broadcasting during daylight to Germany and other Countries of Europe.

extract Information Minister requests approval for construction of radio mast on east coast to beam propaganda to the continent

place Great Britain

place Iceland

place Europe

place Denmark

place Czechoslovakia

organisation Luftwaffe

organisation Foreign Office (Germany)

Thursday 16th May 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Cabinet approves process of “thinning out” UK shipping in the Mediterranean in case of attack by Italy

extract BEF Commander reports French considering withdrawal to defensive line. PM to visit France at once to prevent this retreat

extract British occupation of Iceland proceeding. Small force sent North to occupy aerodrome

extract Situation on Western Front “most critical”. French counterattack of vital importance says Chief of Imperial General Staff

extract Urgent request for more fighter aircraft received from French. Four squadrons to be despatched, two more held in reserve

person Alexander Cadogan

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person Franklin D. Roosevelt

person John Dill

place Iceland

place Gibraltar

Meeting minutes

extract Halifax announces signs “some arrangement” with USSR possible. Stafford Cripps to be sent to Moscow to explore agreement

extract Telegram from Ankara warns of secret Italian full mobilisation within 48 hours. Rumour Germans have crossed Brenner Pass

extract Japan has requested “economic advantages” from Dutch East Indies. Halifax to inform US of these “sinister” demands

extract Information Minister reports UK air attacks on Germany “being hushed up”. Suggests they are “not ready to retaliate”

extract PM: “On the whole” military situation in France “better”. RAF have “covered themselves with glory”

person Anthony Eden

person Alexander Cadogan

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person Stafford Cripps

person Samuel Hoare

person Sydney Brenner

place Great Britain

place Ankara

place Egypt

place Brussels

place Madrid

place Iceland

place Moscow

place Cairo

place Madrid, New York

organisation KEF

Construction of Aerodromes and Naval Bases by the United States in British Colonies and Dominions.

extract Chiefs of Staff “strongly” in favour of lease of UK bases in Trinidad, Newfoundland, Bermuda to US in exchange for credit

person Telesforo Trinidad

place Iceland

place Bermuda

place Washington

organisation Hopatcong High School

organisation Government of Canada

organisation United States Congress

Meeting minutes

extract PM opposed. US “given us practically no help in the war”, keep "everything which would help us for their own defence”

extract British Ambassador to Washington suggests lease of UK bases overseas to America to help pay war debts

person Anthony Eden

person Alexander Cadogan

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person John Anderson (Australian politician)

person John Dill

person Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.

place Halifax Peninsula

place Brussels

place Iceland

place Bermuda

place Washington

organisation RAF Coastal Command

organisation Hopatcong High School

organisation Indian National Congress

extract Chiefs of Staff urge reinforcement of occupying UK force in Iceland with 5 battalions of Canadian troops

place Iceland

place Northern Ireland

organisation Government of Canada

Monday 3rd June 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Dominions Secretary to invite Canadian government to take over defence of Iceland from occupying British force

extract Cabinet approves changes to UK bombing rules. Chamberlain: German action provides "fullest justification" for proposals

extract Report from Rome of German plan to move troops from Naples to Cadiz for attack on Ireland. Halifax: “Unwise to ignore”

extract Total number of evacuees at 0600 BST: 292,380. Halifax: Total not to be released to Press because of French objections

extract Situation confused. Unclear how many French now at bridgehead. Germans not pressing attack but beach under artillery fire

extract PM: Personnel of BEF have been withdrawn to this country "practically intact". French could do more to evacuate

person Alexander Cadogan

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

place Halifax Peninsula

place Iceland

place Dunkirk

place Paris

place Greenwood, Nova Scotia

place Rome

organisation RAF Coastal Command

organisation Hopatcong High School

organisation United States Navy

organisation Government of Canada

Meeting minutes

extract Report Egypt wishes to remain neutral in UK-Italy conflict. Egyptian PM told with "brutal straightness" this impossible

extract General Dill: Situation in France "generally more favourable". But concern at possible German breakthrough near Rouen

person Anthony Eden

person Alexander Cadogan

person John Anderson (Australian politician)

place Egypt

place Gisborne, New Zealand

place Halifax Peninsula

place Iceland

Meeting minutes

extract General Dill: Battle "in progress along the whole Western Front." PM Reynaud again urges fast despatch of UK forces

person Anthony Eden

person Alexander Cadogan

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person Charles de Gaulle

person Paul Reynaud

place Iceland

place Narvik

place Greenwood, Nova Scotia

place Rome

place Libya

organisation United States Congress

Meeting minutes

extract Belgian PM and 50 staff flown into London from Nantes. 1000 Canadian troops arriving for defence of Iceland today

extract Eden: Report from Information Minister on UK public opinion "not very encouraging". PM to broadcast speech on 18th

extract South African PM calls for UK occupation of Irish ports ahead of Germany. Chamberlain: UK should "insist" on IRA roundup

extract PM Reynaud offers meeting in France this afternoon. Churchill declines, UK sending assent for France to ask for terms

person Anthony Eden

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person Charles de Gaulle

person John Anderson (Australian politician)

person Winston Churchill

person Archibald Sinclair, 1st Viscount Thurso

person Neville Chamberlain

person Paul Reynaud

place South Africa

place Halifax Peninsula

place Iceland

place London, Ontario

place Greenwood, Nova Scotia

Meeting minutes

extract Home Office report enemy aliens being locked up as fast as facilities can be provided. Reliable aliens being "combed out"

extract PM concerned at rise in number of children for evacuation overseas. Information Minister to stress transport limits

extract French government's move to Perpignan for evacuation to N. Africa cancelled. Position on Fleet may have changed for worse

extract Military evacuation of Channel Islands complete. Evacuation of residents wishing to leave will be finished later today

extract British evacuation from France now complete (144,180 returned to UK). Some Polish troops still awaiting embarkation

person Walter Hines Page

place Great Britain

place Somaliland

place Egypt

place Iceland

place Liverpool

place Malta

place Nigeria

place Africa

place Greenwood, Nova Scotia

place Libya

organisation Home Office

organisation Air Force F.C.

organisation RAF Coastal Command

organisation Government of Canada

organisation French Foreign Legion

Meeting minutes

extract PM Churchill: Relations with France "might well approach very closely to those of two nations at war with each other"

extract Telegram received from former PM Reynaud. Churchill: Clear French government "completely under the thumb of Germany"

extract Aerial reconnaissance over Dortmund-Ems aqueduct shows RAF bombing has failed to damage structure despite being on target

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person Charles de Gaulle

person Walter Hines Page

person Samuel Hoare

person Francisco Franco

place Egypt

place Iceland

place Berlin, New York

place Malta

place Gibraltar

place Libya

organisation Home Office

organisation RAF Coastal Command

organisation Royal Air Force

organisation RAF Fighter Command

organisation French Foreign Legion

Meeting minutes

extract Royal Navy to transport an estimated 20,000 men back to France from tonight

extract PM: Desirable to remove from UK as soon as possible all French troops not volunteering "to remain and carry on the fight"

person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell

person Walter Hines Page

person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort

person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn

place South Africa

place New York, Lincolnshire

place Somaliland

place Egypt

place Iceland

place Malta

place Algeria

place Morocco

place Africa

organisation Hopatcong High School

organisation Royal Navy

organisation Royal Marines

Sunday 7th July 1940

Northern Barrage and other Mining Requirements at Home.

extract First Lord of the Admiralty proposes massive "northern barrage" minefield from Scotland to coast of Greenland

place Gisborne, New Zealand

place Iceland

Estimated Scale of Air Attack upon United Kingdom.

extract Prime Minister questions Air Ministry figures on likely severity of bombing attacks on UK. Ministry reduce figure by 60%

extract Chiefs of Staff report on “likely forms and scales of attack" Germany could bring to bear on UK "in the near future”

person Winston Churchill

place Great Britain

place Trondheim

place Iceland

place East Anglia

place Denmark

Grant of air facilities to the United States.

extract Halifax details plan to grant airbases to US. "In future" US may be responsible for guarding "English-speaking peoples"

place Great Britain

place Iceland

place Bermuda

place Caribbean

place North America

place Jamaica

place Europe

place South America

place Washington

place West Germany

organisation Hopatcong High School

organisation United States Department of State

organisation United States Navy

organisation Government of Canada

organisation United States Congress

organisation United States Army

extract PM expresses doubt at Nazi amphibious invasion: "hazardous and even suicidal operation", surprise crossing "impossible"

person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay

person Winston Churchill

place Iceland

place Eyre Peninsula

organisation Luftwaffe

organisation Scapa

organisation Home Fleet

Preparation of more Troops in India for Service Overseas.

extract Army Chiefs warn they require more troops from India than planned. UK fighting "as far apart" as Iceland and West Indies

place Afghanistan

place Iraq

place Iceland

place Caribbean

place Burma

Thursday 1st August 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Eden: 44 UK and Empire divisions to rise to 55. PM "not content" with fewer than 7 more tank divisions by summer 1941

place South Africa

place Egypt

place Iceland

Monday 14th October 1940

Meeting minutes

extract Anderson: One-eighth of consumers in London cut off from domestic gas supplies. Position has been "static for some days"

extract Minister of Labour: Baking industry offering "time and a half" during air raid warnings. Will end "dangerous precedent"

extract Halifax: Washington opposed to "anything like a conference" in US, London or Singapore. Cooperation to remain technical

extract Admiralty: "Great improvement" in shipping losses last week but enemy sowing "very large quantities" of mines around UK

extract Air Chief: Main concentration of overnight bombing again on London. Liverpool also received "considerable attention"

person Alexander Cadogan

person Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay

person Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges

person Andrew Greenwood

person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley

person Stafford Cripps

person John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort

person Samuel Hoare

person Malcolm MacDonald

person Kingsley Wood

person Clement Attlee

person Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn

place Egypt

place Cranborne

place Halifax Peninsula

place Iceland

place Singapore

place Sudan

place Washington

organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom

Thursday 30th January 1941

Weekly Resume (No. 74) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon January 23rd, to 12 noon January 30th, 1941.

extract General Dill: Our forces in the Sudan have captured Biscio and are "now pushing on towards Agordat"

extract Air Chief: "There has been less enemy activity this week than at any time since intensive raids began last autumn"

place Freetown

place Aruba

place Portugal

place Iceland

place Sudan

place Malta

place Europe

place Gibraltar

place Kenya

place Alexandria

place Libya

place Tripoli

organisation RAF Coastal Command

organisation Luftwaffe

organisation ING Group

Thursday 13th February 1941

Weekly Resume (No. 76) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon February 6th, to 12 noon February 13th, 1941.

extract Chiefs of Staff: "Waterless and inhospitable" Sirte desert now a very good defence for remaining Italian forces in Libya

place Somaliland

place Iceland

place Liverpool

place Malta

place Kismayo

place Gibraltar

place Stockholm

place Africa

place Bulgaria

place Denmark

place Libya

place Tripoli

organisation RAF Coastal Command

Thursday 3rd April 1941

Meeting minutes

extract General Haining: Some of our forward posts overrun in Libya. Our troops withdrawing to a position north of Agedabia

extract PM: President Roosevelt has allotted funds to build a further 200 ships for us. I stated urgent need for escort vessels

extract Admiralty: The air attack against our shipping was more intense during March than in any previous month

person Alexander Cadogan

person Herbert Morrison

place Greece

place Finland

place Cranborne

place Iceland

place Narvik

place Malta

place Greenwood, Nova Scotia

place Libya

organisation Home Office

organisation RAF Coastal Command

Meeting minutes

extract Indian Government to send troops to secure Basra in Iraq. General Rashid Ali to be told but force will "land in any case"

extract General Dill: Our force in Greece holding its own against heavy German attack. But enemy has taken Sollum on Egypt border

extract General Dill: Germans have occupied North Yugoslavia. Their advance likely to be by Sarajevo and Mostar to the Adriatic

extract Air Chief: In Libya on April 12th our bombers made 4 attacks and dispersed about 60 enemy tanks drawn up to attack Tobruk

extract Air Chief: In Balkans we have (with severe aircraft losses) inflicted fairly serious damage on advancing German troops

person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley

person Rashid Ali al-Gaylani

place Greece

place Egypt

place Cranborne

place Iraq

place Iceland

place Basra

place Eritrea

place Albania

place Addis Ababa

place Libya

organisation RAF Coastal Command

Thursday 1st May 1941

Weekly Resume (No. 87) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon April 24th to 12 noon May 1st, 1941.

extract Chiefs of Staff: Iraqi Army concentrated in and around Baghdad. Evidence Raschid Ali may offer resistance to our troops

extract Chiefs of Staff: Every indication Germans see Libya as "theatre of war to which their maximum efforts should be devoted"

extract Chiefs of Staff: "No reliable indications of imminent hostilities" between Germany and USSR, relations somewhat strained

place Aruba

place Greece

place Baghdad

place Iceland

place Liverpool

place Malta

place Europe

place Tobruk

place Tunisia

place Alexandria

place Morocco

place Syria

place Africa

place Libya

organisation RAF Coastal Command

organisation Advanced Micro Devices

Meeting minutes

extract Eden: I think Stalin's open assumption of power shows he realises the clouds are gathering

extract PM: Enemy "short of ammunition, petrol and food". "With good fortune the Battle of Egypt might well turn in our favour"

extract PM informs Cabinet Operation Tiger, to send tank reinforcements to General Wavell through the Mediterranean, is underway

extract Air Chief: "Light night" led to 23 enemy aircraft being brought down. Air Secretary to congratulate Fighter Command

person Walter Hines Page

person Herbert Morrison

person Joseph Stalin

place Egypt

place Iceland

place Manchester, New Hampshire

place Syria

place Greenwood, Nova Scotia

organisation Home Office

organisation New Zealand Treasury

organisation RAF Coastal Command

organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom

organisation United Nations

Weekly Resume (No. 88) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon May 1st, to 12 noon May 8th, 1941.

extract Chiefs of Staff: General Fraser unable to occupy Basra. Population "hostile and imbued with anti-British propaganda"

person Richard Kiel

place Athens

place Wellington, Nevada

place Greece

place Iceland

place Eyre Peninsula

place Turkey

place Basra

place Sicily

place Europe

place Morocco

place Bristol

place Libya

organisation RAF Coastal Command

Weekly Resume (No. 90) of the Naval, Military and Air Situation from 12 noon May 15th, to 12 noon May 22nd, 1941.

extract Chiefs of Staff: Situation at Heraklion obscure. Town and harbour partly occupied by Enemy who has mounted machine guns

person Richard Kiel

person Robert German

place Newcastle upon Tyne

place Freetown

place Greece

place Somaliland

place Egypt

place Iceland

place Basra

place Europe

place Tobruk

place Berlin

place Syria

place Africa

organisation RAF Coastal Command

Thursday 19th June 1941

Meeting minutes

extract President Roosevelt has informed PM he has closed US German consulates, frozen assets. Plans bases in N. Africa, Iceland

place Egypt

place Iceland

place Dakar

place Africa

Reports for Month of May 1941 for the Dominions, India, Burma, and the Colonies, Protectorates and Mandated Territories.

extract Dominions Secretary: Germany has expressed regret for "accidental" bombing of Dublin in May. Offered compensation

person Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook

place Greece

place Iraq

place Iceland

place Malta

place Gibraltar

place Cyprus

place Syria

place Africa

place Northern Ireland

place Burma

organisation New Zealand Treasury

organisation Labour Party (UK)

Meeting minutes

extract Soviet Ambassador told UK with Russia "up to the hilt in all military and economic measures for the defeat of Germany"

extract Cabinet authorises Foreign Secretary Eden to telegraph terms for a cessation of hostilities in Syria

extract Eden: Of utmost importance Syria operation concluded as early as possible. Delay having unhappy effect on other countries

extract General Dill: Russian military position appears very grave although German air and land losses have been considerable

extract General Dill: Palmyra now completely surrounded. Further reinforcements being sent to Syria

extract Air Chief: Heavy losses of bombers over last week "due to phenomenal light conditions". PM: "Our attacks must continue"

person Claude Auchinleck

person Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell

person George Cadogan, 3rd Earl Cadogan

person Oliver Lyttelton, 1st Viscount Chandos

person John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley

person Charles de Gaulle

person Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook

person Walter Hines Page

place South Africa

place Murmansk

place East Germany

place Cranborne

place Iceland

place Moscow

place Cairo

place Turkey

place Syria

place Greenwood, Nova Scotia

place West Germany

organisation House of Commons of the United Kingdom

Meeting minutes

extract Eden: Every reason to hope within a week announcement might be made of arrival of first American troops in Iceland

place Iceland