Tag: German

APRIL 1942 PODCAST IS OUT.  THE POLICEMEN ARE SENTENCED, MURDER IN SARK, IMPACT OF MALNUTRITION, DEPORTATION OF JEWISH WOMEN AND MORE!

This episode delves into the daily life and struggles of individuals living under German occupation in Guernsey during World War II. 

It highlights the challenges of food shortages, the impact of malnutrition on health, and the complexities of justice as seen through a police scandal. Personal anecdotes and historical accounts provide a vivid picture of life during this tumultuous time, showcasing resilience and adaptation amidst adversity.

In this episode, the hosts discuss various historical topics related to Guernsey and Sark during World War II, including the murder of Dr. Goebel, the role of propaganda in the Guernsey press, and insights from the diary of Louis Guillemette. They also remember the Jewish ladies deported from Guernsey and explore the ongoing research into escape attempts from the islands. The conversation wraps up with a look ahead to future projects and events.

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 – 80 DAYS TO LIBERATION WITH SIMON DE LA RUE.

Nick spoke to Simon De La Rue of the Guernsey Press about his project 80 days to Liberation which started on 18 February and runs all the way to the 80th anniversary of Liberation on 9 May 2025.

Find out what the project involves, how he is going about it and how you can get involved.

Email Simon on sdelarue@guernseypress.com if you have a story for him.

During the episode IWM – liberation footage

You can watch a video edition of the podcast here where you can see Simon and Myself.

Or Listen on your favourite podcast app by searching Islands at War or online below.

MARCH 1942 – THE ENTIRE GUERNSEY POLICE FORCE ARE ARRESTED, GERMAN SECRET POLICE, ALDERNEY EVENTS AND A FUNNY STORY FROM JERSEY!

March is a busy month with a lot going on!

Not least the whole of the Guernsey Police Force being arrested.  We talk about how this happened.

A bit about the German Police and their methods.

A funny story from Jersey!

Alderney goings on! 

There are a couple of articles below and a film.

You can find Islands at War on all the good podcast apps.

GUERNSEY’S ENTIRE POLICE FORCE ARRESTED – 5 MARCH 1942
THE ROBIN HOOD POLICEMEN -PART TWO & A FILM

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 – FEBRUARY 1942 EPSIODE IS OUT! WE TALK SOME DIFFICULT TOPICS PLUS THIEVES, RATS, SPANIARDS AND MORE.

February 1942 had some fairly depressing and difficult topics for us to discuss not least the eighth Jewish Order. They are important to discuss and particularly as this episode was recorded during the week of the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

We also talk about the impact of the occupation on the mental health of Channel Islanders.

We have a some lighter topics to discuss as well as a few book recommendations!

Our Jersey diarist is still complaining that Guernsey is still getting bombed more than Jersey by the RAF! Not an aspect of inter-island rivalry I would have had down on my bingo card but it gets mentioned a lot.

We mention Churchill’s Spaniards: Continuing the Fight in the British Army 1939-46- by Séan Scullion. This is an excellent book that Nick & Keith both recommend.

We also talk about a book that is out in April 2025 written by Jenny O’Brien which is a novel set during the occupation. You can find her social media and books here. Looking forward to reading this when it is out! Jenny is appearing at the Guernsey Literary Festival.

We talk about much more as well!

Please do subscribe, it is totally free, write us a review etc it all helps.

Thanks for listening!

JANUARY 1942 – RAF AIR RAID ON ST PETER PORT AND A NEW YEAR TRAGEDY!

In this episode we talk about the attack on German shipping in the harbour.  It was a spectacular low-level attack by three Beauforts of 82 Squadron Coastal Command.

Listen to me talk about the raid and the death of a local man who was a crane driver. For some photographs of the raid taking place and the resultant damage take a look at the two articles below.

RAF Air Raid on St Peter Port 17th January 1942
RAF RAID ON ST PETER PORT – 17 JANUARY 1942 – PART 2.

We then look at the tragic case of George Fisher who was shot by a German on New Year’s Eve.

Entertainment in the theatres is highlighted with the formation of a new group, and we talk about Frank Stroobant who was involved in this as well as island sports. He also wrote an excellent book about the occupation.

Display at the German Occupation Museum

We talked about the censor Sonderfuehrer Kurt Goettmann

Sonderführer Kurt Goettmann the censor. Image © The Priaulx Library via Occupation Archive 

The press censor Sonderfuehrer Kurt Goettmann appointed on the 27th January 1941 at the age of 32. His previous experience included working in press offices in both Paris and London. The censor role was to ensure that anything published followed the stringent rules set out by the Germans.

We also talk more about food as that is an ever present problem.

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 – USE OF THE LOCAL LANGUAGE GUERNÉSIAIS, A FORM OF NORMAN FRENCH, DURING THE OCCUPATION.

Nick had a brainwave that it might be fun to explore the use of the local language, Guernésiais, Pronounced ‘JEHR-nehz-yay’, it is also known as ‘Guernsey French’ or ‘patois’.  It is a form of Norman French, which evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken in the region when it was part of the Roman Empire.  

There was only one man for the job of coming in for a chat about this subject that man was Yan Marquis. A local tour guide and heavily involved in promoting the language. Nick has known

We chat about the Guernsey language #guernesiais and its use amongst the Guernsey occupied and evacuees during WWII. Challenges they faced included: incomprehension, suspicion, adaption, isolation & linguistic disconnect. Fascinating chat about how the language was a benefit to those occupied and also a problem for those evacuated, that returned unable to speak it.

We also talk about some stories that people have told Yan over the years about their time during the occupation.

For more information on the language go here.

For details of Yan’s tours go here.

You can also listen to Walter Brehaut who we mentioned in the podcast and Yan in conversation here. There is a translation!

If you want to hear more of the language following our podcast you can find it hear along with translations. https://soundcloud.com/user-348870745

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

DECEMBER 1941 PODCAST – AMERICANS SUFFER POST PEARL HARBOUR, MILITARY ACTIVITY HOTS UP, A HUGE GUN, UNWELCOME GUESTS, FOOD AND MORE!

It is the December 1941 episode and we look at what Christmas was like for different families and across the Channel Islands.

We talk about food and some of the crazy prices being paid for livestock, difficulties in obtaining some some essentials.

Military activity hots up and the barrels are delivered for the huge Mirus Battery. This unfortunately causes a tragic death of a 6 year old girl who was crushed. This happened at Le Ville au Roi. In the photograph below you can see the junction itself.

Below you can see photographs of the vehicles used to pull the gun barrel.

Read more about the big guns in the article below.

BATTERIE MIRUS – THE BIG GUNS

Pearl Harbour happens and the Germans take measures against the Americans resident in the Channel Islands.

We look at various different families and how their lives were impacted so far.

We also touch on the German Officer who as a boy scout had been awarded a medal by the King of England.

Listen on your favourite podcast app or click 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

OCTOBER 1941 PODCAST – KOMMANDANTS, REVERSE INVASION THREATS, NEUTRAL CITIZENS, AND A BIT OF DEVIATION!

Its October 1941 and the Germans are worried about a British attempt to retake the Channel Islands.

We had a couple of clarifications and corrections that we talked about. One being the American officer who was in fact Canadian. Learn more about Major Alan Chambers in the article below.

THE SURRENDER AND LIBERATION MAY 1945

We reference Operation Attaboy which was planned earlier in the year. If you want to read about that go to my article.

OPERATION ATTABOY – THE FIRST PLAN TO RETAKE ONE OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS – 1941

We talk about the Fortress Order and the French workers that arrive. Lists of men of military age drawn up. You can find out more here about the order.

ISLAND FORTIFICATION ORDERED BY HITLER 20TH OCTOBER 1941

We talk neutral citizens and their experience.

During the podcast we mentioned the Digimap ariel photo map. You can find it here. The gallery of WW2 reconnaissance photos is here.

A look ahead to Liberation 80 for next year, a couple of forthcoming walks.

Guernsey Walking Tours which is Keith’s walking tours can be found here.

We also mentioned another tour guide that I am friends with Jo May whose website is on the link in her name.

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

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!

Exit mobile version
%%footer%%