Daily Post - 20.06.1942, Page 3

DAILT POST
A Review of
Sport in Iceland
1940 —1942
by “Neptune”
How the British troops in Iceland created for themselves,
amid difficult conditions, opportunities to enjoy some of the
sports which play so important a part in life at home.
The Dndergronnd War
Years ago at school during
our Geography lessons it was
seldom that our eyes came to
rest on Iceland. If we ever did
pause to think about the place
we would never connect it with
modern sports.
Yet in the two years the
British Forces have been here
very few of us can complain of
not having had the opportunity
of pursuing many of our favour-
ite outdoor sports and pastimes,
and anybody who partook of
winter sports and mountain
climbing found t all that could
be desired.
One of the greatest obstacles
was securing sports grounds in
a country where grassland is so
scarce, but our Services con-
cerned have risen well to the
task and there is now hardly a
camp which has not a ground
of its own or within short dis-
tance.
Football immediately came
into its own and it was more
than surprising to find the
talent which was contained in
the Force. At our peak a year
ago a represfentative match be-
tween England and Scotland
found all the twenty-two play-
ers to be professionals, includ-
ing Westcott, the Wolves and
England centre-forward, who
taught us how easy goalscoring
can be. Judging from recent
papers from home, Iceland did
no harm whatsoever to his foot-
ball, for he was very largely
responsible for Wolves winning
the War Cup. Subsequently the
ncw íamous Dockers have carr-
ied all before them and given
us many lessons in team work.
Rugby did not fall behind
and many sterling matches
were witnessed. especially at
the Lágafell ground, where our
old friends the Tyneside Scott-'
ish and Field Ambulance were
respected by all.
Everybody must have been
astounded to find such an ex-
cellent swimming pool in
Reykjavík, not to mention the
numerous hot spring pools
which have enabled us to enjoy
open air swimming throughout
the year. Inter-Service Swimm-
ing Galas have been arránged
successfully, and several units
had their own water polo teams
L’ast autumn the Force water
polo team was a power to be
recognised and it was with a
feeling of confidence that we
challenged the Icelanders, but
we found ourselves with plenty
of lessons to learn and were left
wondering why we had never
heard of this country in the
International Swimming ev-
ents.'
Even golf has been brought
within our reach thanks to the
generosity of the Reykjavík
Golf Club, and it is not an un-
common sight to see a person in
battledress wielding a No. 2
Iron, and taking a cautious look
at the adjoining rocky ground,
though probably thanking Na-
ture at the same time for not
providing the natural hazards
we “love” so much at home.
Cricket and tennis followers
have had perhaps the leanest
time of all, but cricket has been
seen, and the scarcity of it may
be due to the fact that football
is played all the year round.
Now the arrival of our Ame-
rican allies has seen the advent
of Baseball, and American foot-
ball for what must be the first
time in Iceland, and curious
“Tommies” are to be found
watching and attempting to
learn the “ins & outs” of these
games, possibly in the, hope
that théymay get off to a flying
start should they ever establish
á footing at home.
The Sport of Kings we have
had to do without, but even
here we can thank the inhab-
itants for the spectacle of pony
A Belgian has been condemn-
ed to death and executed by
the Germans at Liége. It was
alleged that he had insulted
Rexists (Fascists).
In Brussels seven Belgians
were condemned to death for
sabotage and possession of fire-
arms. Two of the condemned
men were immediately execut-
ed, says the Belgian News
Agency.
DEATH SENTENCES AT
MANNHEIM
The Germans report that the
People’s Court in Mannheim has
sentenced fourteen defendants
to death on charges of treason-
able support of the enemy, dis-
integration of the defensive
strength of the Reich, and list-
ening to foreign wireless sta-
tions. An official communiqué
states: —
All defendants are former
Communists and Marxists, some
of whom have previously been
sentenced for high treason. —
They have attempted to esta-
blish in Mannheim a Commun-
ist organisation, form cells, and
distribute a mimeographed ille-
gal publication. They aimed at
undermining the German de-
fence front in the battle against
the Bolsheviks and at establish-
ing a Soviet Germany.
100 ARRESTS IN PARIS
Two men armed with auto-
matic pistols who are alleged to
have left time bombs in the Anti
Bolshevik Exhibition were
among nearly a hundred persons
arrested by the Gestapo in a
drive in Paris.
BELGIAN DEATH SENTEN-
CES
One of the men was German
and the other French. Both are
racing, and enabling us to have
a flutter, made all the more ex-
citing by our complete ignor-
ance of the ponies & jockeys.
Our relations and friends at
home who should chance to
read this paper Will no doubt
be surprised to read of all these
sporting facilities provided for
the Forces in Iceland and help-
ing us to keep in touch with the
games we have been brought up
to love, at the same time en-
suring that we retain .the spirit
which is known. the world ov*r
as British.
alleged to have been impJica-
ted in the attaek on the Gér-
man sentry shot dead in the
Rue de Tanger on March 1.
In a basement the Gestapo
found several printing presses,
packets of forged identity cards,
military service books, ration
cards, and special passes, sever-
al thousand copies of pro-Alli-
ed leaflets, and hundreds of re-
productions of stamps used ex-
clusively by highly placed
members of the Nazi military
and administrative staffs.
The Vichy delegation in oc-
cupied France—whose report
reached Free French quarters;
in London on Monday — also
stated that 83 arrests have beeni
made in a week. Arrests have
also been made as far afield as
Cherbourg, Tours, Nantes, Ev—
reux and Rouen.
Snndajr Services
June 21st, 1942
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
Dómkirkjan, Reykjavík. All
officers and men of the Brit-
ish Forces are invited to at-
tend the Service held by the
American Forces at 0930 hrs.
each Sunday at the Cathe-
dral, Borg Square.
NON-CONFORMIST
The Non-conformist Service
will be held in the Salvation
Army Hall at 0930 hrs.
OTHER SERVICES
Church of England. Holy
Communion, YMCA Chap-
el at 0830 hrs. Evening Ser-
vice, Lakeside Church, at
1930 hrs. Preacher: Rev. G.
A.G. Champbell,RAF Chaplain
Roman Catholic. R. C. Cat-
hedral, Reykjavík. Saturday
Confession 1930 hrs. to 2030
hrs. Sunday Parade Mass
1100 hrs. Other Masses 0630,
0900, and 1000 hrs. Bene-
dicfion 1830 hrs.
Jewish Faith. The Jewish
Service will be held each
Friday in the Men’á Recrea-
tion Hut, Camp Laugarnes,
at 1930 hrs. : ■*-.
“Dainippon” is to be the of-
ficial name for the Greater Ja-
panese Empire, according to a
Tokio spokesman. •