Report for the Quarter ending 31/3/1942

Report for the Quarter ended 31/03/1942.

This quarterly Report – again marked SECRET at the time - began with a paragraph headed Morale.

The argument was made strongly that a lead characteristic of Officers and NCO’s ought to be the development of character in the men under their command and that this was not a matter to be left with Chaplains alone. The argument was made for excellent Chaplains to be posted to Training Schools, OCTU‘s etc to imbue students with a deep appreciation of this need.

The second paragraph concerned Concerts.

This had been referred to in the previous quarter’s Report with concern being expressed – and repeated here – that some of the entertainment put on for the troops was not satisfactory. ENSA in particular was singled out for criticism in the mounting of shows containing attempts at humour of a very suggestive nature. A Conference of Chaplains of all three Services had submitted a resolution to the G.O.C. as follows:-

“In view of (1) the spiritual aspect of this conflict, (2) the extraordinary difficult and unnatural conditions of the life out here and (3) the fear and worry of many men over unfaithfulness at home, the Chaplains unanimously ask that Concerts and other recreational activities be kept free from jokes about marital unfaithfulness and that other undesirable jokes which men appear to enjoy but do not really desire and that a higher quality of real humour and talent should be aimed at which is always appreciated”

The G.O.C. had agreed to the resolution and issued instructions accordingly. (See Appendix B below in addition)

Chaplains’ Conferences and Quiet Days.

It was claimed that monthly Conferences held where the majority of Chaplains work were particularly beneficial. Sharing of issues and experiences and the opportunity to speak with a united voice on relevant matters was greatly valued. Other organisations – including the YMCA, Salvation Army and the British Sailors’ Society were invited for parts of the Conferences and this had added to the value.

An occasional Quiet Day for spiritual help and guidance, given the Icelandic conditions, was seen as necessary.

Hire of Churches.

It was strongly recommended that the hiring of Churches for Services be put on a more formal footing through the Hirings Officer and not be done via ad hoc arrangements by individual Chaplains, often with no written agreement.

Readers may recall elsewhere in the Iceland section of this Website that the Icelanders regarded the Army’s hiring and rental agreements very fair and honourable, whether for airfield labourers, or for the use of ponies by Reconnaissance Platoons.

Marriages between British Troops and Icelandic Women.

The rules governing this matter had been drawn up by the Deputy Judge Advocate General and submitted to the War Office for approval. They were attached to the Report as Appendix A as follows:-

The custom had been for a marriage ceremony to be conducted in an Icelandic Church by an Icelandic Minister. Some soldiers had enquired as to whether a British Padre might officiate instead and this apparently was thought to be covered by a section of the Foreign Marriages Act 1892 which indicated that the marriage would be legal if performed by a Chaplain or other Officer under orders from a Commanding Officer.

However, from the woman’s point of view this had disadvantages in terms of :-

Recognition under Icelandic Law.

Availability of a divorce should the wife be deserted.

Difficulties over copies of the Marriage Certificate.

The recommendation therefore was that the marriage should continue to be conducted in accordance with Icelandic Law, but that a British Chaplain might have a role in the service – such as reading prayers - by negotiation with the Icelandic Minister. In order for such a marriage to be registered at Somerset House the Consul General would be asked to arrange representation at the ceremony – for which a fee would be charged. It was stressed that this was only feasible in the Reykjavik area.

If only a translated certificate of marriage was required arrangements had been made for a certified translation to be available from the Consulate General’s Office in Reykjavik or from the Vice-Consul’s Offices in Akureyri, Vestmannaeyjar or Nordarfjordur. Duplicate certificates were normal in Iceland, one each for husband and wife.

The final paragraph of the Appendix clarified that the Icelandic woman in such a marriage immediately gained dual nationality, until such time as she left Iceland, when she had to relinquish her Icelandic nationality. This also applied to any children of the marriage.

At this stage we do not know how many such marriages were solemnised.

Appendix B

This page was a copy of a letter from the Officer Commanding Iceland (C ) Force – Major-General H O Curtis - to the Under-Secretary of State of the War Office regarding the Chaplains’ resolution on unsuitable entertainment. He expressed his full agreement with the resolution and confirmed his view that the troops preferred higher class artistes. He indicated an appreciation for the efforts of ENSA, which otherwise were laudable, especially given the hardships of transport around Iceland in small ships.

To contact the author by e-mail with any queries, or to send information - click here.