Monday, December 8, 2014

The Faroe Islands and World War I

Today I got not only four postcards but also my ordered stamps from the Faroe Islands.

One set I ordered is about the World War I Centenary.
Although Denmark and thus the Faroe Islands stayed neutral during World War I the Faroe Islands were highly affected by it. As the belligerents put up naval blockades there were soon after the declaration of war bottlenecks in supply on the Faroe Islands. In the adversity the Faroese started to experiment around to get the most necessary goods. For example they used roe to extend rye flour or blubber as lamp oil and fuel for motorboats. 
On 1st February 1917 the German Empire declared the waters around the British Islands stretching to the southern part of the Faroe Islands as war zone and announced to dump all boats in the zone by submarines. Hopefully the Faroese still sent out their fishing boats but on the 23rd and 24th May 1917 the German submarine UC 33 dumped altogether eight Faroese boats. 
The most Faroese stayed at home during World War I but Christian Ludwig Petersen having emigrated to Canada fought in many battles with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. After the war he went back to the Faroese Islands and never talked about what happened in the war.


The other stamps you can find here.

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