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The Britons leave

As told, even if the british army left iceland from april 1942, RAF and Royal Navy continued to operate there for all the conflict. The icelanders had no role in the war plans of the great powers, but the did sstressed about the issue of the withdraval at the end of the war. In many times the icelandic government asked confirmation of what established in advance, and London had no problems in reassuring the icelandic counterpart. England had no intention to propose to Iceland the inclusion in the commonwealth, and a permament position there was soon discarted.

The leaving from Iceland was not an easy task: Reykjavik airfield (principal) and Kaldadharnes, Sandgerdi, Melgerdi, Oddi and Hofn landing groung (secondary), plus the naval base of Hvalfjordur had accumulated a huge amount of goods, infrastructures and other military appliances to be removed.
In the meanwhile, consul Smith died (24 july 1942 (91)), and the new ambassador Edward Shepherd maintained a profile of good cooperation with the icelanders: part of the materials were sent to England, but many other goods were sold at extremely fair prices to locals, or even given for free (useless goods were also dropped in the sea). Between 1944 and 1945 the Navy closed all radar and observation stations. The 6th of august the war banner of the Royal Navy was lowered, and the chief Admiral came back to motherland. Last sailors left the month after.
The RAF followed the same path, but the last personels left the island in march 1947; the british airforce had an agreement with the government to trainee icelandic personell to manage the structures created during the war.
 
An official cerimony was held in july, 20, 1946, when the Reykjavik airfield was consigned to icelandic personel. In that occasion the prime minister Òlafur Thors gave a speech enphasizing the honorable behaviour of Great Britain:
 
“They maintained the words given to a small country, in times when the foundations of the earth were trembling and the destiny of the civilizations was uncertain. The promises of the british government were maintaned as soon as it was possible by circumstances (...) Consul Sir Edward Shepherd please accept the thanks of the icelandic people for the behaviour of the british towards our nation, from the very first day untill today” (92).
 
 

Note al testo:
91: Il console perse la vita durante una battuta di pesca; una delle figure cruciali del periodo di guerra veniva meno, ed anche gli islandesi vollero tributargli la loro stima: "Mister Smith ha sempre mostrato nei confronti dell'Islanda la più profonda amicizia. Era persona stimata da tutti coloro che lo conoscevano, e la sua morte sarà da tutti compianta". Morgunbladið (quotidiano), 24 luglio 1942.
92: Morgunbladið, 21 luglio 1941.

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