It is a time to think about how relieved and happy everyone must have felt. The Jerrybags who slept with German soldiers are a reminder that the bulldog breed collaborated too. The locals would feel terribly sorry for them, and would offer them food and shelter. For 75 years, Liberation Day has and will continue to be celebrated on 9th May, while Sark Island celebrates theirs on the 10th. One could say it is a miracle that the remains of the Priory were not completely destroyed as you can still go and see them to this very day. She brought with her food and medical supplies. The smallest of the Islands of Guernsey, called Lihou, is situated just off the west coast of Guernsey and accessed by a causeway at low tide for about two weeks every month. It was one thing to be polite to someone, but it was a massive taboo to actually be in a relationship with ‘the enemy’. But Colin Smith argues that we should not jump to conclusions-the Islands were unlike any other part of occ Finally, in 1945, an announcement was given by Prime Minister Winston Churchill: The Nazi occupation of part of the British Isles had begun. 68th Liberation Day 2013, The Guernsey Event Company. If you subscribe to BBC History Magazine Print or Digital Editions then you can unlock 10 years’ worth of archived history material fully searchable by Topic, Location, Period and Person. ‘Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight. Personalities: Major Friedrich Knackfuss Feldkommandant of the Islands from 1941-1944 standing with an Islander on a promenade in Guernsey A. Please enter your number below. The Islands politically took on a policy of “passive cooperation.” Fearing a German monopolization of oil, Britain interned German civilians living in Persia in 1941. In Jersey the arrival of the invader was equally un-dramatic. A. Author of The British Channel Islands Under German Occupation 1940-45 A fifth of all the defence works in the so-called Atlantic Wall - a defensive line stretching from the Baltic to the Spanish Frontier - were built on the Channel Islands. Alderney was the only Channel Island to be evacuated during WWII as the island became part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall. They were in a precarious position: if they were discovered and classified as spies, then they could be shot. Guernsey fell to the Germans without a shot being fired on 30 June 1940, with Jersey falling the following day on 1 July 1940. “I don’t have any swines,” he told the German – although he did, in fact, have two pigs hidden in a secret pig sty. However please join the islanders for their virtual celebrations: more details at During the German occupation of the Channel Islands, there was limited resistance. But when you have tens of thousands of young men and women in one place, it’s inevitable what will happen. So if the Germans had invaded Britain, I think people would have been able to fight back in a way that just wasn’t possible on the Channel Islands. The Germans stationed axsubstantial garrison on the Island. I think for some of the local men, the resentment that they had about the occupation was targeted at these women. (Public domain) After their liberation in 1945, a silence fell over the islands … A. German invasion After the loss of the Battle of France, the UK deemed the Channel Islands to be of little strategic importance. 5621230. Depending on the area, there could be as many as one to two Germans per islander. The women who entered into relationships with Germans were called ‘jerrybags’, and there was this assumption that they were doing it for selfish reasons – to get more food or luxuries like lipstick and silk stockings from Paris. There was one woman, for example, who was working for a pro-Nazi Swiss chef. was deposited at the Jersey Archive in September 2001. Guernsey’s history is a fascinating one that spans centuries. The Islands thus became the only British territory to be occupied by the Germans during the War. He considered the Channel Islands to be his ‘stepping stone’ to the British Isles. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. The smallest of the four main Channel Islands, Sark is located some 80 miles from the south coast of England and only 24 miles from the north coast of France. From 1st April right through until the end of October, 75+ heritage themed events will take place in Guernsey, Herm, Sark, Alderney and Lihou. Having a relationship with someone from the ‘other side’ was considered much worse than some of the wrongdoings that – to me – seemed more deserving of anger: collaboration, dodgy trading with the Germans, etc. They managed to do a certain amount of trading with France – the Germans actually allowed that – but after D-Day [the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944], they were cut off and began to starve. The islands had a very high number of German soldiers compared to the civilian population, one soldier for every 2-3 civilians, which reduced options; this linked to the severe penalties imposed by the occupiers meant that only forms of non-lethal resistance were used by the population. The German Occupation of Guernsey, Channel Islands Visit Guernsey May 8, 2019 The biggest impact on the Islands during the 20th century was when … The soldiers did hand themselves in, but the Germans went back on their promise and they were sentenced to death. Subscribe to latest events View Event Website Events you might be interested in. The attorney general of Guernsey, Ambrose Sherwill, actually referred to it as a ‘model occupation’, which very much captured the essence of what the German authorities were trying to achieve. While there were a few real Nazis – individuals committed to national socialism and Hitler – the majority of Germans on the island were just ordinary soldiers who wanted to go back to their homes and families. They couldn’t speak freely, they were living under curfew and they were often struggling for food. The Channel Islands were liberated a day after the official end of the war in Europe and this joyous event is celebrated annually on 9 May. Islands in Danger: Story of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands, 1940-45 by Alan Seaton-Wood: 1945: Jersey Occupied: The German Armed Forces in Jersey 1940-1945 by Michael Ginns: 1945: Jersey Under the Jackboot by R. C. F. Maugham: 1945: The Model Occupation: The Channel Islands Under German Rule 1940-1945 by Madeleine Bunting: 1945 Throughout Europe there had been a massive campaign, partly encouraged by the BBC, to encourage people to chalk up V-signs on buildings. Guernsey and the other Channel Islands were occupied by German Forces during the Second World War. From themed tours and guided walks to exhibitions, family fun days and exclusive site openings, visitors will be able to delve into a wide range of experiences. From changing the clocks to reflect the time in Germany to restricting activities such a fishing, club meetings and the singing of patriotic songs, islanders had to abide by these newly imposed laws otherwise they would have been arrested, or even faced the risk of being deported. What was life like for women and children in Nazi Germany? Copyright © Historic UK Ltd. Company Registered in England No. From the Publisher We produce a large number of books about the German Occupation of the Channel Islands and this has been our best seller by far. Many of the men who had served in the First World War, and who were perhaps too old to fight in the Second World War, found it difficult to accept the presence of the Germans. With Saskia Reeves, Owen Teale, Julia Ford, Clare Holman. In Jersey a number of Jews were deported along with other islanders – they were treated comparatively better than many other Jews in occupied Europe and survived the war. In Guernsey, three women who were deported ended up at Auschwitz and were killed there. Although they were granted a last-minute reprieve on Christmas Eve 1940, by this point one of the men’s fathers had already committed suicide. Explore unique wartime history and see the traces the five-year-long occupation left behind, from concrete defences, bunkers and fortifications to a network of underground tunnels. I think it helped that the people in charge of the occupation were these German aristocrats who, if anything, were quite suspicious of Hitler and his fascist ideology. About The Channel Islands; Latest information on COVID-19 and travel to Jersey & Guernsey ... German Occupation - Fortifications and Military History Share . The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to fall under Nazi Occupation during World War Two.. After the German offensive raced through France, the British government concluded in June 1940 that the islands were indefensible; island officials were ordered to demilitarise and some citizens were evacuated to mainland Britain. This was exemplified in an instance relatively early on, in 1940, when two local Guernsey lads who had signed up to the British Army returned to the island on a reconnaissance mission. From their perspective, they had “beaten them once”, and now they were back again – this time right on their doorstep. Rachel Dinning is Digital Editorial Assistant at HistoryExtra, Save over 50% on a gift subscription to their favourite history magazine. Thanks! the occupation and liberation of the channel islands 1940-1945 HU 25932. The Jersey garison alone exceeded 11,500 men. There are many families living in Guernsey whose parents or grandparents can recall specific details from life as a child during the Occupation. The Germans issued a range of strict regulations. This page tells the story of the two Woolworth stores during the period of German occupation. Herm Island, which is only 20 minutes away from Guernsey by ferry, was initially passed by the Germans but was later claimed by the Third Reich on July 20th 1940. They imposed a curfew, made everyone carry identity cards, banned the sale of spirits and later banned radios. Others remained undiscovered or in hiding. She had an autograph book that contained some friendly notes from the Germans soldiers she got to know. Yes, the title of the film is not an exaggeration – potato peel pie really was a dish that people were eating at the time. This timeline of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands is an edited and abridged version of that contained in Paul Sanders’ 2005 book The British Channel Islands under German Occupation 1940-1945. It took a long time for these two sides of society to make peace with those different experiences. While there wasn’t a resistance in the militarised sense of the word, there were definitely moments of rebellion – acts of arson and graffiti, for example. The mounting pressure on food and ration supplies resulted in the early release of prisoners, but the situation was becoming critical. You have successfully linked your account! WWII fortifications across the Islands of Guernsey were constructed by captured men forced into work. Visit historical sites or join a expert-led tour to cast light on this dark side of Jersey’s You previously said that the islanders’ relationship with the Germans was … The German occupation of the Channel Islands still haunts Britain's image of itself at war. There is a lot of high feeling and controversy surrounding this period in the Islands’ history. When the tide is right, you can walk over and explore the abundance of flora and fauna, a Benedictine Priory from the 12th century and a crystal clear Venus Pool. It was extremely tough, but compared to the German occupation in France or Holland it was a much ‘softer’ occupation. And our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today.’. Here, Rachel Dinning talks to Duncan Barrett, author of Hitler's British Isles, to find out what it was like to live under German rule. But a couple of Jews did die as a result of the occupation and the impossible new German laws – for example, one man’s shop was forcibly closed and he committed suicide, and another had a mental breakdown. All five Islands quickly found themselves under German rule, each serving their own purpose for what became known as ‘Hitler’s Island Madness’ as the Channel Islands became the most fortified place in the world. Islanders collecting Red Cross parcels from Le Riche’s shop in St Peter Port, Guernsey. Everything you ever wanted to know about... Nazi wives: the women beside Hess, Goebbels, Göring and Himmler. I spoke to a woman whose husband got himself into a rather difficult situation when a German came to his farm to ask how many “swines” he had. Life under Nazi rule: the occupation of the Channel Islands. German armed forces ruled the Channel Islands from June 1940 until May 1945. So there was definitely this feeling among the locals that they were judged by the outside world for even quite innocent interactions like that. Hitler saw it as an opportunity for a bit of PR – he wanted to prove that the Germans could run an occupation without the abuses of power and violence that were happening elsewhere. He greeted her one morning with the usual “Heil Hitler” and she replied: “To hell with Hitler!” She ended up going to prison, but she became a local hero of sorts. A. Hitler’s ‘model occupation’ in the Channel Islands was possible because there wasn’t much resistance. Little did they know this would be for almost five years. Some even remember specific acts of kindness from soldiers who wanted to help rather than take control. The smaller islands of Sark fell on 2 July and Alderney on 4 July 1940. Read 29 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. This happened in Guernsey. The Islands of Guernsey are what’s known as an ‘archipelago’ – a collection of islands located on the English Channel between England and France. Those who were discovered to be having these illicit relationships had their heads shaved and were ‘tarred and feathered’ – had liquid tar and feathers poured over them. The papers may lay to rest accusations that some Channel … VE Day. The substantial German garrison and small size oif the islands meant that resistance was impossible. Before the war, the island had been massively reliant on importing and exporting with the mainland. It gives a good overview in different sections from invasion to liberation. Today, it is a tranquil paradise with waters often mistaken for the likes of the Caribbean. The five-year German occupation came to an end on 16 May 1945 and the first day the islanders were able to return to their island on December 15 is known as Homecoming Day, an event still celebrated in Alderney with an annual Bank Holiday. Alderney celebrates ‘Homecoming Day’ on December 15th as an alternative to Guernsey’s Liberation Day celebrations in May, as the Island required a huge amount of clearing and it operated as a communal farm while order was restored. In comparison, resistance in German-occupied France was possible because the Maquis [rural guerrilla bands of resistance fighters] were able to disappear into the mountainous terrain from which they took their name. Channel Islands Liberated- the End of German Occupation, Channel Islands, 1945 D24595 Receiving a message from the Germans agreeing to a meeting at midnight on 8–9 May, the ships returned to the same south west coast location off Guernsey and a German … There was humanitarian resistance too. Islanders all had different experiences of the war as some sadly lost their lives and loved ones, while others formed civil relationships and found new ways to live with their enemies. Just a fortnight earlier Whitehall had ordered the Channel Islands to be demilitarised and had carried out elaborate voluntary evacuation plans. Find out in our ‘Everything you need to know about Nazi Germany’ podcast. 30 June 1940 : Occupation began 15 Sept 1942 : Deportation order 27 Dec 1944 : Red cross ship Vega arrives with food 9 May 1945 : Liberation The occupation of the Channel Islands by the Germans may have been a small episode in the Second World War, but it … I was quite shocked to hear how angry people can get about this subject even all these years later. Listen on the podcast: Military historian Peter Caddick-Adams responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about D-Day. People didn’t always get off so lightly. It was used to practise landing from barges in preparation for the invasion of England, under the guise of shooting a propaganda film called ‘The Invasion of the Isle of Wight’. 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