Krígssavnið fekk fyri kortum eina skipstroyggju sendandi úr Bretlandi frá dóttrini hjá RAF-manninum John Gerard Forsyth. Hann gjørdi tænastu í Føroyum undir seinna heimsbardaga, millum annað á Eiði, har hann arbeiddi sum radara passari.

John Gerard Forsyth varð sendur til Føroya í 1942 og var her í umleið eitt ár. Eftir hetta varð hann sendur til Burma og India.

Dóttirin greiðir frá, at pápin hevði stóran kærleika til Føroyar og ofta segði frá landslagnum, serliga teimum stóru, brøttu bjørgunum, sum – eftir hansara frásøgn – fóru beint niður í havið og vóru líka djúp, sum tey vóru høg.

Hon sendi eisini avrit av nøkrum av myndum hansara, sum vórðu tiknar, meðan hann var á Eiði – bæði av honum sjálvum og av landslagnum. Hann er maðurin við svarta yvirskegginum.

Av Eiði verður sagt, at nógvar skipstroyggjur vórðu bundnar har undir krígnum. Hetta var vetrararbeiði, og fólk brutu ofta svøvn og sótu langt út á náttina og bundu. Menninir spunnu og karðaðu ullina, meðan kvinnurnar bundu.

Skipstroyggjurnar vórðu seldar til keypmenninar í bygdini, sum síðan seldu tær víðari. Prísurin var vanliga 40 krónur fyri eina troyggju. Men handilsmenninir kappaðust eisini, og onkuntíð fór prísurin upp í 41–42 krónur. Onkur keypmaður lat peningin í hondina, meðan onkur lat vørur í býti.

Troyggjubinding hevur í øllum førum verið eitt gott ískoyti hjá mongum húsarhaldum tá í tíðini, serliga um veturin tá lítið var at forvinna. Somuleiðis hava hesar troyggjur ivaleyst vermt væl hjá hermonnunum í tí kalda føroyska veðurlagnum.

Keldur:
Krígssavnið; Helen Butcher; Svanhild Vesturdal; Jon S. Hansen (2019).

The War Museum receives a jumper from the Second World War from Britain

Krígssavnið recently received a Jumper from Britain, sent by the daughter of RAF serviceman John Gerard Forsyth. He served in the Faroe Islands during the Second World War, among other places at Eiði, where he worked as a radar operator.

John Gerard Forsyth was sent to the Faroe Islands in 1942 and stayed here for about a year. After that he was posted to Burma and India.

His daughter explains that her father had a great affection for the Faroe Islands and often spoke about the landscape, especially the large, steep cliffs which – as he described them – plunged straight down into the sea and were just as deep as they were high.

She also sent copies of several of his photographs taken while he was stationed at Eiði – both of himself and of the surrounding landscape. He is the man with the black moustache.

It is said that many jumpers were knitted in Eiði during the war. This was winter work, and people often sacrificed sleep and sat knitting late into the night. The men spun and carded the wool while the women did the knitting.

The jumpers were sold to local shopkeepers, who then sold them on. The usual price was about 40 kroner for a jumper, but the merchants sometimes competed, and occasionally the price rose to 41–42 kroner.

Some shopkeepers paid in cash, while others provided goods in exchange. In any case, knitting jumpers was an important additional source of income for many households at the time. Especially during the wintertime.

Sources:
The War Museum; Helen Butcher; Svanhild Vesturdal; Jon S. Hansen (2019).

Tað skrivar facebook-vangin hjá Krígssavnið - War Museum - Faroe Islands  ·