War Diary - CRE - May 1941
3 May 1941 – Reykjavik
Commander, Royal Engineers visits Keflavik with Intelligence Officer.
Progress reports – see Appendices A and B attached.
4 May 1941 – Reykjavik
Commander, Royal Engineers visits HVITANES.
5 May 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers visits Kaldadarnes. Warm sunny day.
6 May 1941 – Reykjavik
Field Engineer 3 recces road - Docks to “Balbo’s Hangar” (258081) – Map 1/25,000 Reykjavik Area, Hafnafjordur to decide:-
(i) Which is the most suitable route to take Norwegian Float Planes in large crates (12’ 11” by 30’ 9” by 8’ 9”).
(ii) What preparatory work is required.
9 May 1941 – Reykjavik
Only 5,000 electric detonators left in store and no safety fuze. Unless fresh supplies which were ordered on 23rd March, 11th April and 3rd May arrive shortly, the position will be serious.
Major Douglas (Officer commanding 194 Army Field Company) embarks for UK to go to Staff College.
10 May 1941 – Reykjavik
Progress Report 803 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers – see Appendix C attached.
11 May 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers and Adjutant go to KEFLAVIK. Group Captain Ashton RAF lunch at KEFLAVIK in a ?
15,000 sandbags sent on S S Jokul for Borganes.
12 May 1941
Progress Report 294 Field Company, Royal Engineers – see Appendix D attached.
Letter from Officer Commanding Engineering and Maintenance Section stating that both Engineering and Maintenance and RAOC welding has had to stop owing to shortage of acetylene and oxygen.
13 May 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers and Adjutant recce new landing ground at ODDI (963543, 1/100,000 Sheet 48). Hudson lands successfully but in an attempt to take off burst a rear tyre. Field Engineer 2 (2/Lt Fox) is improving existing surface to enable it to be used as an emergency landing ground.
14 May 1941
Captain Tyzack arrives back from leave and takes command of 294 Army Field Company Royal Engineers.
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to Hvalfjordur.
Road AKUREYRI to Reykjavik now open to Icelandic transport (lorries and buses) but still unsuitable for War Department Transport.
16 May 1941
Extract “G” Conference held on 13. 5. 1941.
Chief Engineer asked to have recce made for proposed road from the road at the end of the Hvalfjordur to Anti-Aircraft gun sites at PYRILSNES.
17 May 1941
Progress Report KEFLAVIK Emergency Landing Ground:-
50 yards width - 80%.
Extra 25 yards width – 65%.
Progress Reports:-
803 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers – see Appendix E attached.
294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers – see Appendix F attached.
Promotions (Extract R.O. 456 Appendix A List 45)
Captain W S Tyzack granted acting rank of Major (unpaid) with effect from 14/5/1941.
Lieut C W Harvey assumes appointment of Adjutant with effect from 14/5/1941 and the Acting rank of Captain (unpaid).
The organisation of this HQ is therefore:-
Commander, Royal Engineers – Lieut Col Colley T D, Royal Engineers.
Adjutant – Captain C W Harvey, Royal Engineers.
Intelligence Officer – Lieut R S Winnington-Ingram, Royal Engineers.
Field Engineer 1 – Lieut A G White, Royal Engineers.
Field Engineer 2 – 2/Lieut J Q Fox, Royal Engineers.
Field Engineer 3 – Lieut F L Randle, Royal Engineers.
21 May 1941
Road from AKUREYRI to SEYDISFJORDUR impassable ten miles beyond HUSAVIK. It is not expected to be open for three weeks.
Commander, Royal Engineers and Adjutant go to Kaldadarnes.
22 May 1941 – Reykjavik
Icelandic Holiday. Civilian labourers only on priority work i.e. Kaldadarnes, KEFLAVIK and REYKJAVIK aerodromes.
Commander, Royal Engineers, Intelligence Officer and Regimental Sergeant Major to KEFLAVIK.
RASC started moving crates of Northrop aircraft from Docks to Balbo’s Hangar.
23 May 1941
22:30 hours. Commander, Royal Engineers called out of cinema performance to attend Conference with Chief Engineer at Force HQ.
24 May 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to Hvalfjordur with Officer Commanding 807 Road Construction Company, Royal Engineers.
Progress Reports:-
803 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers – see Appendix G attached.
294 Army Field Company Royal Engineers – see Appendix H attached.
25 May 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers goes to quay at Reykjavik early a.m. to contact Royal Engineer troops newly arriving. Ships unable to dock on account of heavy seas.
294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers commence setting out of two PoW cages at GEITHALS.
26 May 1941
Work commenced on construction of PoW cages at GEITHALS, being carried out by Royal Artillery personnel with help and supervision of 294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers.
H.M. Transports ROYAL ULSTERMAN and PULASKI arrived Reykjavik bringing 804 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers, Officer Commanding Major Wiseman and 668 General Construction Company Royal Engineers, Officer Commanding Major McKenzie.
804 Road Construction Company transferred to S S LOCHNAGAR for onward shipment to AKUREYRI.
26 May 1941
HQ and Two Sections of 668 General Construction Company accommodated at OLD STAGING CAMP, Reykjavik, remaining two Sections transferred to S S LOCHNAGAR for onward shipment to HVITANES.
27 May 1941 – Reykjavik
HQ and two Sections of 668 General Construction Company, Royal Engineers, move to Kaldadarnes by lorry; a shuttle service bringing 807 Road Construction Company Royal Engineers back from Kaldadarnes to Reykjavik, where they come under command of Commander, Royal Engineers (Works).
28 May 1941
Officer Commanding 668 General Construction Company, Royal Engineers takes over control of work to aerodrome runways at Kaldadarnes.
29 May 1941
Commander, Royal Engineers and Adjutant go to Kaldadarnes and from there on to ODDI.
S S PHOTINIA docks, bringing barbed wire and 2000 tons cement, of which 1000 tons are earmarked for transport to Kaldadarnes.
30 May 1941
S S SICILIAN PRINCE docks, bringing cargo of barbed wire.
Appendices attached to the May 1941 War Diary of Iceland Force Commander, Royal Engineers.
Appendix B – Works Completion Report from 294 Army Field Company, Royal Engineers.
This is the only Appendix to have survived to be included in the War Diary file at The National Archives. It lists each job in course of completion and indicates the percentage stage to which each has been completed. Numbers and types of men employed were listed together with the estimated date of completion of each job. 107 Engineers are accounted for, assisted by 127 civilians or Infantry. Work includes; building pill-boxes, tunnelling dugouts, Camp construction at various sites, roadblock construction and Machine-Gun Post construction.
Appendices A and C to H are therefore missing.
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