Why did some Durham soldiers wear a Polar Bear badge during the Second World War?
After returning home from Dunkirk, the 10th and 11th Battalions DLI were re-equipped and sent to Iceland in October 1940, as part of the 49th Division, to stop the Germans from using the island as a base. They remained there until December 1941. Whilst on Iceland the 49th Division adopted a new badge – a Polar Bear. The most exciting event during the long months on Iceland was a visit by Winston Churchill on his way home after meeting the US President.
