The Flag Officer Commanding, Iceland (C) was an appointment of the British Royal Navy during the Second World War. His headquarters were at the

stone frigate A stone frigate is a naval establishment on land. 'Stone frigate' is an informal term which has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy (RN), after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the First French ...

HMS Baldur, based at Hvitanes, in

Hvalfjörður Hvalfjörður (, "whale fjord") is situated in the west of Iceland between Mosfellsbær and Akranes. The fjord is approximately long and wide. The origin of the name Hvalfjörður is uncertain. Certainly today there is no presence of whales i ...

fjord, on the west coast of

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

. It was initially administered by the Admiral Commanding, Iceland (C), then as the Flag Officer Commanding, Iceland (C), from 1942 to 1945.

History

Following the

German invasion of Denmark German invasion of Denmark may refer to: *German invasion during the First Schleswig War (1848–1852) *German invasion during the Second Schleswig War (1864) *German invasion of Denmark (1940) The German invasion of Denmark (), was the German ...

in April 1940, Iceland, then in personal union with Denmark, declared neutrality throughout the rest of the war. Iceland's location was of strategic importance to the British who decided to station naval forces at a naval base called HMS Baldur at Hvitanes following the

invasion of Iceland The United Kingdom invaded Iceland on 10 May 1940, during World War II using its Royal Navy and Royal Marines forces. The operation, codenamed Operation Fork, occurred because the British government feared that Kingdom of Iceland, Iceland woul ...

in May 1940. In addition it also established an accounting and accommodation shore base called HMS Baldur II. Iceland was an important base for North Atlantic convoys, patrol and anti-submarine duties. The Admiralty appointed a flag officer to administer the station. On 5 September 1941 Rear-Admiral Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton was appointed as Admiral Commanding, Iceland, serving until August 1942. His title changed to Flag officer Commanding, Iceland (C) in 1943. During the war

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

instructed British officers to refer to the country as Iceland (C) due to someone ordering a ship to go to Ireland instead of Iceland at the beginning of the war. On 31 October 1943

Bertram Watson Vice Admiral Bertram Chalmers Watson CB DSO (20 March 1887 – 22 July 1976) was a Royal Navy officer who became Rear Admiral, Submarines. Naval career Watson served in the First World War and, after being promoted to captain on 31 December ...

was appointed Flag Officer Commanding, Iceland, where he served in the rank of rear admiral until 7 August 1945. The 1945 Navy List records Watson as holding the position in the rank of vice admiral.

References

External links

* https://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4201-40RNShips1Home.htm - listing of ships under Iceland Command January 1942, including five anti-submarine groups, a minesweeping group, and the 106th Motor Launch Flotilla (four MLs) Royal Navy flag officers commanding {{UK-navy-stub