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 that has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, an island off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French in 1803–04. ...

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 30 km long and 5 km wide. The origin of the name Hvalfjörður is uncertain. Certainly today there is no ...

fjord, on the west coast of

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

. 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 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 invasion of Iceland (codenamed Operation Fork) by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines occurred on 10 May 1940, during World War II. The invasion took place because the British government feared that Iceland would be used by the Germans, who h ...

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 Admiral Sir Frederick Hew George Dalrymple-Hamilton KCB (27 March 1890 – 26 December 1974) was a British naval officer who served in World War I and World War II. He was captain of ''HMS Rodney'' when it engaged the ''Bismarck'' on 27 May ...

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 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 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) Flag officers of the Royal Navy {{UK-navy-stub