Z Force on the Ground: The Canadian Deployment to Iceland, 1940-41

Authors

Steven J. Bright

Abstract

The date of 10 May 1940 is well known for the start of the German blitzkrieg and the end of Neville Chamberlain’s tenure as British Prime Minister. That fateful day also opened a chapter in Canada’s war story that, in the end, saw more than 2,600 Canadian servicemen deployed to far-away but strategic Iceland. The Canadian commitment to that remote island from June 1940 to April 1941 was a metaphoric stepping-stone in the long Allied struggle against the Axis powers in the North Atlantic, building what ultimately became a secure strategic bridge for the deployment of the forces that liberated Europe.

Recommended Citation

Bright, Steven J. "Z Force on the Ground: The Canadian Deployment to Iceland, 1940-41." Canadian Military History 31, 1 (2022)