PODCAST SPECIAL- BOOKS WITH STEVE FOOTE!

In this episode Keith talks to Steve Foote of Blue Ormer Publishing and Chief Executive of the Priaulx Library.

They talk about the following books which you can buy.

Guernsey Occupation Diaries 1940-45 – Reverend Douglas Ord (edited John Nettles)
The Silent War -Frank Falla
Guernsey Under German Rule – Ralph Durand
Life in Occupied Guernsey – Ruth Ozanne Diary
The Battle of Newlands – The Wartime Diaries of Winifred Harvey
The People’s Messenger: The Occupation Diary of Louis Guillemette, Guernsey 1940-45
Gentle Violence: Diaries 1943-45 – Hans Max von Aufsess

An interesting note is that von Aufsess notes in his diaries, as Steve mentions, that an American ship with an American Officer on came to Guernsey to try and negotiate in September 1944.  The Germans were confused and reported the Canadian Allan Chambers as being American in all their official reports, he also arrived on a British vessel.  You can read the full account here.

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.

If you have questions or information to share you can contact me by email on Contact@Island-Fortress.Com.

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.

© Nick Le Huray

SEPTEMBER 1941 – GERMANY’S GOT TALENT, AN ESCAPE FROM JERSEY AND MORE!

In the September 1941 edition of the Islands at War podcast we cover a number of aspects of events that month.

As requested by many people we have expanded the podcast to include regular Jersey content so each month going forward there will a more about Jersey.

We kick off this episode with the incredible escape of Denis Vibert from Jersey in a tiny boat. Moving on to some rumours of a tunnel being constructed from Jersey to France!

The Guernsey Press organised a charity swimming gala. Pictures and report below. See if you can spot any relatives! 2,000 people, a tenth of the population, attended.

One person didn’t do so well as he ended up in court!

The Germans hold a review where German artistes could perform. Wish I had thought of this before we recorded the episode but it is kind of “Germany’s Got Talent”.

We also talk about RAF activity in the area and shipping attacks.

You can find the podcast episode on all the major podcast apps or listen in the player 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.

If you have questions or information to share you can contact me by email on Contact@Island-Fortress.Com.

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.

© Nick Le Huray

PODCAST SPECIAL – TIM OSBOURNE TOUR GUIDE AND HISTORIAN TALKS ABOUT HIS FAVOURITE GERMAN OCCUPATION BOOKS!

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.

If you have questions or information to share you can contact me by email on Contact@Island-Fortress.Com.

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.

© Nick Le Huray

AUGUST 1941 PODCAST IS OUT! IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID! PLUS SOME STRANGE ORDERS, HORSES, A PATOIS SPEAKING GERMAN, AND MORE

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.

Thanks for listening!

PODCAST SPECIAL – TIM OSBORNE TALKS A LANCASTER IN SARK, ALDERNEY & TYPHOON RAIDS

In this episode Nick chats to Tim Osborne about the Lancaster that landed in Sark, the RAF Typhoon raids on the radars at Fort George, what went at the camps in Alderney and the German railway in Guernsey.

Tim is a tour guide, historian and commercial pilot. You can find some of his videos here.

He tells the incredible story of the Lancaster that landed in a field in Sark.  

Other topics we covered were the railway that the Germans built, Typhoon raids on Fort George, Alderney and two Germans that were prosecuted.

We also talked about Zac Osborne, who at 6 years old, is probably the youngest historian in the Channel Islands.  You can find Zac’s short videos here.

Tim’s Guided Walks can be found on Facebook here.

You can find more about the Typhoon raid here.

Pictures below of the May 2024 visit to the Lancaster Field.

Standing in the 1,000 foot field
Current Seigneur Christopher Beaumont telling the tour about the Dame of Sark and the Lancaster.

Tim’s video of some of the railway track is here:

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.

If you have questions or information to share you can contact me by email on Contact@Island-Fortress.Com.

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.

© Nick Le Huray

JULY 1941 V SIGN CAMPAIGN AND CONSEQUENCES! RAF RAIDS ON GUERNSEY AND LISTENERS QUESTIONS

It is July 1941, and the V sign campaign really takes hold in Guernsey. We talk in depth about what happened and the ramifications for the local population.  The German occupiers make themselves look a bit silly much to the amusement of the locals.

We also talk about RAF bombing raids that happened on the island that month and the damage they caused.  

We also answer questions from listeners at the end of the show.

Send us a text

Follow us on Twitter here or Facebook here.

If you want to email in a question send it to occupied@gnetradio.com. Alternatively you can send us a text with the link at send us a text (only works with iPhones).

You can find out more about the occupation on Nick’s website Island Fortress here.

Thanks to Gnet Radio for recording the podcast and thanks to Jim Delbridge for the use of his song ‘5 to 7’ as our theme.

JUNE 1941 PODCAST IS OUT!

Keith and I can’t believe we have covered a year of the the Occupation this episode! There was a lot going on some of which was a bit disturbing to say the least.

Blackberry tea and how it was gathered and made.

Food or the lack thereof and the impact on people.

The third Jewish order is published. This is awful and we look at it in some detail. Essentially this third order was an attempt to make the local population hostile to the Jewish population. It had different impacts across the islands and Keith and I talk about that.

We talked about the build up of troops and how some were puzzled as to why they were here. Some talked of being demoralised already.

We talk about one of the first concrete and extensive gun batteries in Guernsey. Batterie Strassburg up at Jerbourg is a complex of 64 different positions around the Jerbourg headland. You can see some of them here.

We talked about the Doyle Monument being demolished. You can see it here and you can probably see what the problem was.

There are some excellent books on fortifications. If you take a look on your favourite book shop, Festung or here

NICK TALKS TO HISTORIAN DR PHILIP BLOOD ABOUT THE GERMAN OCCUPATION OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS.

Nick was delighted to be invited to talk to the well known historian and author Dr Philip Blood about the German occupation of the Channel Islands during the Second World War. Phil has written a number of books and contributes to the Fallout Sub stack. Please do go and take a look at the Substack site and if you like the content subscribe.

It was an absolute privilege for Nick to be invited to speak to Phil. Phil has a great amount of knowledge about life in the occupied territories of mainland Europe including the Channel Islands and how it was different to the mainland Europe experience.

We had a great chat about resistance and how it was different from mainland Europe, collaboration, food and much more.

Watch the YouTube video or listen to the podcast here.

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.

If you have questions or information to share you can contact me by email on Contact@Island-Fortress.Com.

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.

© Nick Le Huray

MAY 1941 PODCAST IS OUT! FISH FURY, A SINGSONG IN SARK, A MAD IRISHMAN, SEIZED LAND AND MUCH MORE!

May 1941 and there is a lot going on!

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!

https://www.visitguernsey.com/experiences/events/autumn-walking-festival/the-wwii-commando-raids-and-lancaster-bomber-crash

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!

NEW TOUR – Incarceration, Fortification & Escapes | Visit Guernsey

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.

If you have questions or information to share you can contact me by email on Contact@Island-Fortress.Com.

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.

© Nick Le Huray

APRIL 1941 PODCAST OUT -A HURRICANE PILOT, SHOTS FIRED, TRAGEDY IN SAINTS BAY, RATIONING, AND MUCH MORE.

It is April 1941. The Channel Islands are in their tenth month of being occupied by the German forces.

A look at the impact of rationing, an influx of German forces, a proposed raid to take back the islands and much more.   You can listen on your favourite podcast app or listen on the player below. Se below for photos as well of things we refer to in the podcast.

In this episode we cover the Hurricane pilot Sgt Robert Stirling who bailed out of his Hurricane and landed on the small island oof Lihou.  As mentioned in the podcast there is an excellent documentary called “Stirling’s War” which you can find here and watch for free. Tim Osborne who produced it was also mentioned in the podcast.  You can find details of his guided walks here.  

There was a tragedy at Saints Bay when three men died whilst attempting to collect Ormers. Shots are fired and a boat overturns.

Saints Bay
Saints Bay Guernsey
Saints Bay Guernsey

If you are wondering what an Ormer is look here.

Saints Bay Guernsey

The St Sampsons Restaurant at the Hollies that we mentioned I managed to pop along and get a photo of the building.

Article from the Guernsey Evening Press

We also talked about the new book coming out from Blue Ormer. The Hans Max von Aufsess diary – “Gentle Violence  1943 – 45” which you can read about and pre-order here.

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.

If you have questions or information to share you can contact me by email on Contact@Island-Fortress.Com.

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.

© Nick Le Huray