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Ministry of Defence

Answer

Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek advice from his Department's Historic Branch on the contribution made in the battle of the Atlantic by the Polar Bears, in securing Iceland in 1941, and on whether they are entitled to the Atlantic Star. [157420] Dr. Moonie: The men of the 49th West Riding Division whose divisional sign was a Polar Bear, formed the core of the British garrison of Iceland between the late spring of 1941 until the end of 1942 when responsibility for the garrison passed wholly to the United States forces who began to arrive there in the summer of 1941. The securing of Iceland by this garrison made possible the subsequent basing there of Allied aircraft to carry out anti-submarine patrols and thus provide further support to the Allied convoys on which so much depended. Further, the island was used as any assembly point for convoys to Russia. However, the land garrison did not participate directly in the operations contributing to the Battle of the Atlantic, and accordingly land service on Iceland was not included among the categories of service conferring eligibility for the Atlantic Star. This campaign award and the other Campaign Stars and War Medals, were considered by the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals for the 1939-45 War and subsequently agreed by the King.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

157420; 366 c294W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Eligibility Military decorations World War II Iceland Atlantic Ocean Veterans

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk