In this episode Keith talks to Tim Osborne of Tim’s Guided Walks about his recommended books about the German occupation. This comes with a health warning that you might end up purchasing books!
Tim tells us why these books are so important to him and how they help his tour guiding.
Some are out of print but can be obtained from the internet.
First book is Ernie Gavey’s guide to Fortifications which you can find here
Second book is Operation Basalt by Eric Lee. The raid on Sark. You can find this here.
His third choice was Alderney at War which is out of print. You can however find copies here on occasion.
His fourth choice is available on Kindle here Island of Dread.
Find the podcast on your favourite podcast app by searching ‘Islands at War’ or listen online in the link below.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog post.
I also co-host a podcast with Keith Pengelley in which we talk about the occupation of the Channel Islands month by month using first hand accounts, diaries and our research in the archives. You can find us on all the major podcast services. Just search “Islands at War” or visit our podcast page here.
You can also follow the blog on Twitter at @Fortress_Island where I share other information and photographs. If you prefer Facebook I also have a page there.
If you would like to receive email notifications of future blogs, you can sign up to the right of this blog post or here. Feel free to look around the website, where I have categorised posts to make them easier to find and other resources such as tours, places to visit and films that may be of interest.
You can also find articles, podcasts, TV appearances and other social media etc here.
I will be adding more as time permits. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please share it on social media or add a comment if you did. Feedback is always appreciated.
Also happy to be contacted with questions about the war in the Channel Islands, media appearances, podcasts etc.
August 1941 – In this episode Keith and Nick look at the German reliance on horses. Thanks to Nick’s friend Simon Edwards for helping resolve the conundrum of what to call this episode.
Then move on to how the Germans ruined the economy and left the Channel Islands virtually bankrupt. British banks lent money to the Channel Islands governments.
The unusual story of a German who was fluent in Guernésiais (Patois) and the mystery surrounding this. If you want to find out about Guernésiais your can find more info here.
German morale and disorder along with a Diphtheria outbreak.
We wrap up with listeners emails and questions.
It really helps us if you share the podcast on social media and with your friends. Also ratings and reviews help.
We start off with controversial suggestions as to rationing of Fish which caused a fuss in the Guernsey Evening Press. Jurat (and later Sir) John Leale headed up the controlling committee after Ambrose Sherwill was arrested, see our podcast episodes September 1940, October 1940, November 1940 and December 1940 if you want to understand that saga!
The Chamber of Commerce really didn’t like the rationing options and wrote an open letter to the government in the Guernsey Evening Press and Leale responded. It really was a complicated situation which caused quite a kerfuffle! As you can see from the below.
We then talked about compulsory use of land and the notice.
We talked about Oberst Schumacher who was Feldkommandant in Guernsey. Essentially it was a branch of the Kommandantur 515 which was headquartered in Jersey. So he was the senior German Officer in Guernsey.
Then we were on to the orders about selling goods to Germans. A copy of which is below.
Next up it was photos for ID cards.
Revised curfew announced.
Talked about cameras being banned and we immediately thought about this photo!
We then talked about a couple of tours that are going on if you live in Guernsey or are visiting!
You can find Tim’s tour in Sark on the link below. Nick has been on it twice it is excellent!
We also talked about a tour that Nick is contributing to with his friend and tour guide Jo May. It is a brand new tour. You can book online if you fancy learning about incarceration. fortification and escapes!
I hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog post.
I also co-host a podcast with Keith Pengelley in which we talk about the occupation of the Channel Islands month by month using first hand accounts, diaries and our research in the archives. You can find us on all the major podcast services. Just search “Islands at War” or visit our podcast page here.
You can also follow the blog on Twitter at @Fortress_Island where I share other information and photographs. If you prefer Facebook I also have a page there.
If you would like to receive email notifications of future blogs, you can sign up to the right of this blog post or here. Feel free to look around the website, where I have categorised posts to make them easier to find and other resources such as tours, places to visit and films that may be of interest.
You can also find articles, podcasts, TV appearances and other social media etc here.
I will be adding more as time permits. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please share it on social media or add a comment if you did. Feedback is always appreciated.
Also happy to be contacted with questions about the war in the Channel Islands, media appearances, podcasts etc.
Friday 28th June 2024 was the 84th anniversary of the bombing of the Channel Islands by the Germans. I have written about this before which you can find in the link below. I attended the wreath laying on Friday and there is also a video below.
There was a good turnout by the local community and members of the Channel Islands Occupation Society. Thank you to the CIOS, Constables of St Peter Port and the Douzeniers who ensured that this was tragic loss of life was marked. I thought I would share a video of the address given by Phil Martin for those not present.
You can also find Keith and myself talking about it on the June 1940 episode of the Islands at War podcast. Just find it by searching your favourite podcast app.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog post.
I also co-host a podcast with Keith Pengelley in which we talk about the occupation of the Channel Islands month by month using first hand accounts, diaries and our research in the archives. You can find us on all the major podcast services. Just search “Islands at War” or visit our podcast page here.
You can also follow the blog on Twitter at @Fortress_Island where I share other information and photographs. If you prefer Facebook I also have a page there.
If you would like to receive email notifications of future blogs, you can sign up to the right of this blog post or here. Feel free to look around the website, where I have categorised posts to make them easier to find and other resources such as tours, places to visit and films that may be of interest.
You can also find articles, podcasts, TV appearances and other social media etc here.
I will be adding more as time permits. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please share it on social media or add a comment if you did. Feedback is always appreciated.
Also happy to be contacted with questions about the war in the Channel Islands, media appearances, podcasts etc.
December 1940. Search Islands At War in your favourite podcast app or listen here.
In this episode we deal with the fate of Symes & Nicolle the two commandos and the civilians that helped them. Find out how they were treated and conditions in the prison.
We also talk about the repercussions of the raid and how the local population feels about the raid.
Also in the show we look at RAF activity around the islands, a German aircraft crash, fortifications and address listeners questions. If you want to email in a question send it to occupied@gnetradio.com.
We talked about a guided walk in Sark by Tim’s Guided Walks on 25th May. Details here on how to book.
The Festung Guernsey books are available from online book shops.
It is October 1940. More details below but you can listen here. The two commandos, Nicolle and Symes are still at large and moving around the island. Much happened in the run up to their surrender, their treatment after they surrender and the consequences following this. I wrote a more detailed article here about them.
The latest episode is out. You can find it on all your favourite podcast apps and you can find it here.
In this episode Keith and Nick talk you through the events of September 1940.
We take a look at the following the civilian perception of what is going on in the war, various commando raids, an escape, RAF operations in the area, a failed rescue attempt, islanders serving in the British forces and much more!
In this episode we mention Captain Parker who was captured (photo below) and details of his reparation.
Photo from display at Occupation Museum.Reported 29 April 1944 in Guernsey Press
We also mention a new podcast about Bomber Command called “Never mind the Dam Busters” a podcast about RAF Bomber Command. You can find it here and on all your favourite podcast apps.
If you listen to the podcast and like it please do like and share it with your friends. It would be great if you could also comment on the podcast on your favourite podcast app.
Thanks to Gnet Radio for recording and our producer Sean Johnson.
Two weeks have passed already since the last podcast!
We are back for episode 3! We now have an appropriate theme tune thanks to our friend Jim Delbridge. He has kindly allowed us to use his song “5 to 7” from his album ‘The Navigator’. You can find details below about the song and the video.
You can find the podcast on all the usual podcast apps as well as here or listen below.
Keith and Nick talk you through the events of August 1940 the second full month of the islands being occupied by the German forces. We talk about matters both civilian and military.
Freedom of worship except for some. Major Marie Ozanne see more about her and a video here. Food & Essentials. The Bailiff’s controversial broadcast on German Radio. You can find full details of the broadcast here. A mission to rescue two commandos.
During the podcast we talk about some adverts from the Guernsey Press which are below.
We now have some intro and outro music thanks to our very talented friend Jim Delbridge.
If you listen to the podcast and like it please do like and share it with your friends. It would be great if you could also comment on the podcast on your favourite podcast app.
The latest episode of the ‘Islands at War’ podcast is out. In this episode Keith and I talk about the first month of occupation.
In this episode we cover the following:
Arrival of the German Forces.
The initial orders from the Commandant.
The initial Commando raids being ‘Operation Anger’ and ‘Operation Ambassador’ and their results.
Germans buying up everything in the shops.
The locals reaction to events.
You can find the podcast on all the usual podcast apps. Please do give us a like and subscribe. If you have a moment it would be great if you could leave us a review. It costs you nothing but helps us out massively.
You can also find the podcast here with links to all the podcast apps.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog post.
I also co-host a podcast with Keith Pengelley in which we talk about the occupation of the Channel Islands month by month using first hand accounts, diaries and our research in the archives. You can find us on all the major podcast services. Just search “Islands at War” or visit our podcast page here.
You can also follow the blog on Twitter at @Fortress_Island where I share other information and photographs. If you prefer Facebook I also have a page there.
If you would like to receive email notifications of future blogs, you can sign up to the right of this blog post or here. Feel free to look around the website, where I have categorised posts to make them easier to find and other resources such as tours, places to visit and films that may be of interest.
You can also find articles, podcasts, TV appearances and other social media etc here.
I will be adding more as time permits. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please share it on social media or add a comment if you did. Feedback is always appreciated.
Also happy to be contacted with questions about the war in the Channel Islands, media appearances, podcasts etc.
Whilst trawling through the British Newspaper Archive I found this reference to a letter from Guernsey in the Nottingham Evening Post of Saturday 17 August 1940.
This is curious for a number of reasons. Firstly the scheme for sending letters by Red Cross was not established until later in 1940, indeed the scheme was still being arranged in October 1940, in any event was initially restricted to ten words then later increased to twenty five words. Initially you could only send a message in reply to one received although this was changed later. You can find more detail about the Red Cross letter system in the article I wrote here.
It therefore isn’t possible that this letter came through the Red Cross. If you read the newspaper article I will continue to consider below how and why this information appeared in August 1940.
The article refers to the letter coming through “the usual route of France, Spain and Lisbon” which wouldn’t have been set up at this stage being only six weeks after occupation of the Channel Islands on 30 June 1940.
So how did this information arrive in England? It is possible, but unlikely, that it was a letter that somehow got out of Guernsey but that would seem to be unlikely. Even a Red Cross Message once the system had been set up later in 1940 took six weeks to arrive. So how would a letter, in the unlikely event it had managed to be sent by some means via all of these countries, manage to arrive six weeks after occupation but containing information from July 1940.
My initial reaction was that this must have been information garnered from one of the early commando raids either “Anger” or “Ambassador” or the attempt to rescue those stranded and then given to the media. This happened for later raids and appeared in many newspapers at the time. This ‘letter’ was only reported in one newspaper so that seems unlikely in this case. To read about those raids click the links above.
It is unlikely that it was information garnered from an escape from Guernsey. There were a spate of escapes on the first few days of July and possibly one in August, although it may have been early September, and again normally information appeared across multiple newspapers.
The only other way I can think a letter may have got out via this route was the French consul in Guernsey. Again this would seem unlikely but may be a possibilityin the initial days of occupation.
All in all a bit of a mystery that will probably never be solved but I thought it was worth sharing. If anyone can shed any light on this I would love to hear from you.
Whilst writing I should mention I am co-hosting a podcast talking through the occupation of the Channel Islands with local guide and historian Keith Pengelley. You can find links to all the major podcast platforms here or just go to your usual podcast app and search ‘Islands at War’.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog post.
I also co-host a podcast with Keith Pengelley in which we talk about the occupation of the Channel Islands month by month using first hand accounts, diaries and our research in the archives. You can find us on all the major podcast services. Just search “Islands at War” or visit our podcast page here.
You can also follow the blog on Twitter at @Fortress_Island where I share other information and photographs. If you prefer Facebook I also have a page there.
If you would like to receive email notifications of future blogs, you can sign up to the right of this blog post or here. Feel free to look around the website, where I have categorised posts to make them easier to find and other resources such as tours, places to visit and films that may be of interest.
You can also find articles, podcasts, TV appearances and other social media etc here.
I will be adding more as time permits. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it. Please share it on social media or add a comment if you did. Feedback is always appreciated.
Also happy to be contacted with questions about the war in the Channel Islands, media appearances, podcasts etc.
