“Z” Force to Iceland with Steven Bright
In June 1940, France fell to Nazi control and preparations began for the Battle of Britain. The Canadian government deployed soldiers overseas – to Iceland! The Canadian authorities labelled these troops “Z” Force. Eventually, three Canadian battalions served in Iceland under the leadership of Brigadier Lionel F. Page. These were the Royal Regiment of Canada, Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, and the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Guns). The Canadian troops garrisoning the Nordic island in 1940 and 1941 helped to deny it to Nazi Germany as a naval and air base.
Today’s guest, Steven Bright, joins us to share the story of Z Force. We cover the circumstances behind the Canadians’ arrival, their time on the island, and wider connections between Iceland and Canada. The units deployed to Iceland later participated in the Dieppe Raid in 1942 and at D-Day and the Battle of Normandy in 1944. Their time in Iceland often goes unnoticed.
Troops of the Royal Regiment of Canada aim their Bren guns to the sky aboard British Bren gun carriers near Reykjavik, Iceland in August 1940 (© IWM H 3324).
Patreon
Help keep us on the air! Become a patron for Juno Beach and Beyond for as little as $2 per month. Make your secure contribution through Patreon.com.
All proceeds support the Juno Beach Centre, Canada’s Second World War Museum in Normandy, France and allow us to continue to offer this content to listeners across Canada!
Time Stamps
4:01 Canada and Iceland
8:50 Iceland Gets Hot
14:35 Canadian Involvement
20:33 “Z” Force in Iceland
36:01 The Wider Atlantic War
44:09 Legacy
Guest Biography
Steven is a freelance writer/researcher who has worked in communications for more than 25 years. He earned degrees from McGill (B.A., History), Western (M.A., Journalism) and RMC (M.A., War Studies), and lives in Oakville, Ontario with his wife and two teenage daughters. You can find Steven on LinkedIn, and on Twitter at @brightsteven22.
Notes
The following links offer more information on the topics discussed in this episode:
Events
People
Arms & Weapons
RCAF Anti-Submarine Squadrons Overseas
Credits
Juno Beach & Beyond is hosted and edited by Alex Fitzgerald-Black, the centre’s Digital Projects Coordinator.
Mackenzie King’s speech to British Parliament from the British Pathé YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SlEvclY5LE&t=48s
Artillery firing sounds from the CBC News: The National YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsCSQ4uWR1Y
Female veteran’s voice (Eileen Green, née Short) Courtesy of The Memory Project, Historica Canada: http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/383:eileen-green-nee-short/
Winston Churchill’s “Finest Hour” speech from Jonathan Thomas’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB5wZtV1MWM
Spitfire sound effect from Jason Kirby’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgZI4tAoMN0
Dramatic Interlude by Alexander Nakarada | https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Dispatches from Juno shares all the news, events, and stories from the Juno Beach Centre in France and Canada. Interested in contributing a story to the blog? Email the editor at jbca@junobeach.org.
Leave a Reply