World War Two Allied Military Hospital Scrapbook: Laugarnes, Reykjavik: 167th Station Hospital Iceland. Reykjavik: No Publisher, 1941.
68 Black & White Photographs (1941-42) Additional Ephemera includes: military telegrams and memos, receipts, postage stamps, military stamps and seals; personal cards, receipts of money-wires, flyers, posters, notices and newspaper clippings. A “make-shift” scrapbook of plain letter-sized craft paper in brad-prong file folder (seems to be a “re-use” of a file-folder from the base meant for other use and has an mailing label of one, “Hans Petersen,” inside front cover – although the scrapbook is almost certainly the work of Captain Charles C. Verstandig, U.S. Army). This collection includes photographs, military telegrams and memos, receipts, personal cards, receipts of money wired back home to USA, flyers, posters, notices and newspaper clippings (including the Tuesday, December 9, 1941 New York Times front page headline declaring war on Japan which includes the front-page photo of F.D.R. signing the declaration of war). Also included is a “restricted memo” regarding blackout and signal recognition exercises;” and a menu from the 1941 “Christmas Dinner” which list all military personnel and their rank for the 167th Station Hospital Iceland.
Scrapbook entries date to 1941, prior to U.S. officially entering the war and continue into 1942. Captain Charles C. Verstandig (of Connecticut), was a medical doctor in the United States Army, serving in Iceland under British command at Laugarnes, Reykjavík - a military hospital treating allied troops. Captain Verstandig was one of the commanding officers at the medical hospital at Laugarnes during the British occupation of Iceland. The British invaded and occupied Iceland in 1940 fearing the Germans would do the same and gain control of this vital outpost.A total of 68 black and white photographs. 50 glued in with 18 loose photographs laid in. Handwritten notation on some pages. Ranging in size from one 8” x 10” professional portraits to small 2 ” x 3 ” snapshots; majority of photographs are mid-sized. Most are glossy, but the scrapbook contains photos from different cameras, using a variety of film and processing techniques. Most photos are from activities on the base: dining hall (including one photo of a Jewish officer, wearing his Tallit, eating at his own table clearly laid out for Passover with matza, wine and Haggadah) as well as other gatherings; the base grounds (including men in trenches); uniformed officers from both British, Canadian and American forces. Many photographs of Reykjavík and the local people.
Price: $450.00