Skagastrond

SKAGASTROND was the most northerly of the Brigade's operational location in Iceland and was the base for a Section of the Company based at BLONDUOS. The situation of the village was such that it became entirely cut off during winter - often for six months at a time, and the Section Commander based there had the task of carrying out the military duties assigned to him despite being a considerable distance from support from more senior personnel. Lance-Corporal Lowes from Bishop Auckland distinguished himself over the winter of 1940/1941 in maintaining the morale of his Section as well as carrying out his coast-watching responsibilities and was awarded the British Empire Medal as a result.

Lance Corporal Lowes became the unofficial Mayor of Skagastrond, which at the time was a small fishing village. At the time of our visit in 2010 the fortunes of the village had improved significantly and it was clearly much more upmarket than it had been in the 1940s, though still with an industrial component at its core, as can be seen from the photographs below.