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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
You can find it on all good podcast services or here.
In this episode we talk March 1941 of the Occupation of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. We cover off the end of joke that made the Germans look daft but got too teenage maids in trouble.
We look at the impact of sabotage when some phone lines get cut at the airport. Also the impact of sabotage that the RAF did before they left and subsequent bombing.attacks.
The aircraft that upset the Germans when it was discovered by the Germans.
The notice that appeared following the aircraft discovery is below.
We also talked about the Red Cross messages giving reassurance.
We also look at rationing of bread and much much more.
We mentioned the ‘Wee Mite’ aircraft that caused Kenny Bell a lot of trouble. You can find it here including photos.
Bread rationing details are included below.
If you want to email in a question send it to occupied@gnetradio.com.
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.
I was chatting to my friend Jim Delbridge about what the next topic we could cover on his BBC Radio Guernsey & Jersey show. We were trying to think of something different that hasn’t really been covered before in our chats and I thought what about all the rumours that circulated around the Channel Islands! The show went out today, 28th July 2024, and we had a great chat about rumours.
There are plenty to choose from and they range from funny, bizarre, plausible to rumours that must have been worrying. When talking or writing about these rumours I like to categorise them as ‘Wish’, ‘Worry’, and ‘Wind up’ rumours.
You might at this point be wondering how on earth all these years on I know about the rumours that circulated and the veracity or not of the rumours! I have numerous diarists, both published and unpublished, to thank for this. The Rev Ord’s diary is a great source of these rumours and he records his assessment of them. He was respected, came into contact with many people through the church. They also confided in him, not just civilians, but also Germans as he was a fluent German speaker.
Often these rumours were based on something that had happened but was then misconstrued and the story grew and grew.
One has to remember that the local population had very little information, especially when the radios were taken away, and little to entertain themselves with during the course of the almost five years of the German occupation. Gossiping and rumours partially filled the void. One thing that does amaze me is how quickly these rumours got around the islands.
Wish Rumours
These are rumours that start to circulate because the local population wish or hope something is about to happen, happening or happened! As time went on they became more and more fantastic! A lot of these types of rumours centred around supposed activity of the allied forces around or in the islands, or the supposed retreat of the Germans and liberation of the islands.
One of these rumours started in the days immediately prior to the Occupation beginning. In the days immediately prior to the Germans arriving there were a lot of rumours about what was going to happen. Including that Channel Islanders were being forced to sleep in parks, which was untrue. After the initial evacuation a rumour was circulating in Guernsey that Ocean Liners were about to arrive and take the entire population to Canada.
Following the escape of eight men from Guernsey in September 1940 there was a rumour circulating the next morning that they had arranged to rendezvous with the Royal Navy to be picked up by a Destroyer or a Submarine depending on which version of the rumour you heard!
In February 1941 there was a rumour running rife in Guernsey that a Royal Navy submarine had surfaced next to a fishing boat and the Captain had a conversation with the two fisherman. He enquired what conditions were like and offered to take them to England. They declined as their wives were still in Guernsey. Anyone who heard this rumour should have known that by this stage that would not have been possible as fishing was strictly limited and involved having a German guard on your boat or German boats keeping an eye on the fishing fleet. That didn’t stop this rumour from circulating.
At varying times throughout the occupation there were rumours that Churchill & Eden had sent messages to the German Government to say that the Islands must be surrendered within forty days or they would be taken by force. Other rumours that circulated where that Eden and Churchill had died/left the Government etc. The King was also rumoured to have abdicated. Run away to Canada or more.
20th August 1942 Violet Carey records in her diary that the latest rumour is that two large boats are to take all the Germans back to Germany. This would have been a bit of a push given the shipping available at the time and the number of Germans in the Islands.
By December 1942 a rumour was circulating that the Islands were to be declared neutral, that the Germans would leave and the International Red Cross would take over responsibility for feeding the Channel Islanders. In addition to this the rumour said that a local defence force was to be raised, presumably unarmed to keep order as the Germans were not taking the enforced labour of various nationalities with them. The ships were rumoured to be sailing under the Jersey flag. Again this rumour was rather far fetched.
Worry Rumours
Worry rumours are those that came about because faced with an unpredictable occupying force who made endless rules and controlled every aspect of life. This led to rumours about what they were going to do next.
Philip Le Sauter has some fantastic turns of phrase in his diary about life in Jersey. On 23rd September 1941 he notes “Today’s rumours also concern our local Nazi builder – he is starting to build a tunnel to France, he is making a tunnel at St. Ouen from the beach to the Airport, and another at Gorey, and he is building another aerodrome at Gorey. Actually, he appears to be wholly concerned with fortifications, building pill boxes and gun emplacements.”
Now you are probably wondering how people just didn’t go an have a look to dispel the rumours. The issue being that if you didn’t live in the area you had to cycle or walk there to take a look, assuming it wasn’t in one of the forbidden zones.
In August 1943 Violet Carey recorded in her diary that there was a rumour going around that five Organisation Todt workers had tried to burn down St Peter Port, the main town, in Guernsey. Depending on which rumour you heard they were either: 1. In Prison 2. Already been shot 3. Been deported.
These sort of rumours really did cause worry as to what the very unpredictable occupiers were likely to get up to.
In addition to this there was a rumour going around that a German officer had told a local that if his wife and children were injured or killed in Hamburg by the bombing he would shoot five local women. Thankfully this never happened but given the situation it could well have so the worry was real.
One of the most sinister rumours that arose was in late 1944 when the Allies were advancing through France and onwards towards Germany. But while there was a sense of relief that the Germans were on the way to being defeated a certain amount of fear and foreboding existed. In Guernsey there many rumours going around, that gas chambers were being built, so that some civilians would be put in to reduce the population in order to save food. Given that the islands were effectively cut off and there were severe food shortages it is not surprising that this was given some credence.
Another rumour that circulated in both Guernsey & Jersey at this time was that the Americans were going to conduct a 1,000 bomber raid on the islands and that a warning had been issued on the BBC! Such a raid would have been devastating for the islands leading to enormous casualties. Of course those that had an illicit radio set knew that this was untrue, however they couldn’t say anything as to do so would have given that fact away! If they had said this and someone had overheard they could of ended up jailed or shot.
Nobody in the Channel Islands could possibly have known at the time as there was no such broadcast, but this rumour was actually not too far from the truth as the allies had considered bombing the Channel Islands in a number of plans that were formulated over the years to retake the Channel Islands. I wrote about these operations
Wind Up Rumours
Starting a rumour in the hope that it would reach German ears and then cause them to waste time and resources investigating them. These rumours could also be used as a form of resistance by making the German forces doubt if the news they were receiving was true. This wasn’t without risk and occasionally backfired on those starting or perpetuating them.
A classic example of this was in February & March 1941. A practical joke made the Germans look very silly but led to serious consequences for the two teenage maids that started the rumour that British parachutists had landed in Guernsey. They then pretended to be signalling to them which led to the Germans staking out the house and trying to capture the parachutists! Keith and I talked about this on the February 1941 episode of our podcast which you can find here. Keith and I talk about it in some detail on the podcast. Whilst it made the Germans look silly it resulted in serious consequences for those involved in the prank and for others that were suspected to be involved by the Germans.
There were many other rumours that were started either to wind up the Germans and cause them to waste time and resources or just to look silly. They also caused unsettlement in the ranks as Germans worried particularly in the later days as things were turning against the Germans.
Post War Rumours
Unsurprisingly some of these rumours found their way into local folklore and others sprung up. If I had a pound for every time someone told me a story about the occupation that is just not supported by fact I wouldn’t be working a full time job!
The veracity of these stories goes unchecked and are unfortunately perpetuated by some who write about the occupation years without checking if there is a scintilla of truth in them.
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.
In this episode we cover the tragic story of some French men who thought they had reached England but instead had landed on a beach in Guernsey. You can listen on the player below or search “Islands at War” in your usual podcast app.
The strange case of the spies and parachutists which has the Germans worried but also makes them look very silly.
The tale of two fishermen and a submarine also makes an appearance. Plus much more.
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 the bottom of these notes (only works with iPhones).
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.
You can find the Podcast at Islands at War on your favourite podcast app or click link below.
Following a number of questions around the fortification of the Channel Islands we were keen to talk about early fortifications.
In the show we deal with everything from the start to late 1941! Basically everything pre-Atlantic wall.
In this show we talk about early Luftwaffe operations and their part in the Battle of Britain, re-purposing of Napoleonic forts, minefields and mishaps, interest in the islands and more.
A few pictures and links follow below to illustrate what we talked about.
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.
One of the myths surrounding the German occupation of the Channel Islands, outside of the islands, was that there were no acts of resistance. This is simply not true. Many Channel Islanders risked serious consequences by carrying out various acts throughout the occupation with some paying the ultimate price.
I will be dealing with this in detail on the blog during the course of this year. I thought an overview in advance of that might be of interest. Particularly as I have been interviewed by History Rage on their podcast on this subject. If you missed the podcast you can find it here and also on the all the usual podcast services. It is Series 8 Episode 2.
Whilst there were no acts of armed resistance, such as in other occupied countries, there were many acts of resistance, defiance and disruption. These acts caused some Channel Islanders to be deported to prisons or camps in mainland Europe. A number of these people paid the ultimate price, eight from Guernsey and twenty one from Jersey. There were over 4,000 prosecutions for breaking German laws in the Channel Islands.1 The list is acknowledged to be incomplete and doesn’t include those deported to internment camps under the mass deportations. In the context of a total population of the Channel Islands of approximately 68,400 this a large percentage.2
Why was there no armed resistance?
A broad explanation for no armed resistance or partisans was for a number of reasons :-
1. These islands are small and lacked any mountains or forests to disappear into after such acts. In other occupied countries they could be forty or fifty miles away after an attack.
2. Most men of military age had left the islands to join the British armed forces.
3. All weapons had been confiscated at the start of the occupation.
4. They had made it quite clear that any acts against the occupying forces would result in severe reprisals. These threats were not unfounded as the islanders were to find out.
5. The population was faced with ratios of one to three or one to two Germans at various points during the war.
6. The British had removed all weapons when they demilitarised the islands.
7. At no point did the British attempt to supply weapons or organise any resistance. The reason for this was that just as they viewed the Channel Islands of no strategic value they also felt that there was no value in encouraging such resistance. It would have just led to reprisals without actively aiding the war effort.
That isn’t to say that the Germans were not worried about the possibility of armed action being taken against them.
So what resistance was there?
There were many different types of resistance, defiance and disruption during the occupation of the Channel Islands. It varied from small personally significant acts, that made the perpetrator feel better, to organised groups disseminating news from the BBC, acts of sabotage or disruption, escapes and sheltering those that the Germans were looking for.
Small personal acts
Small personal acts were many and varied. Probably the most well known was the “V” sign campaign. The campaign came about because the BBC were encouraging those in all of the occupied territories to make the Germans feel threatened and uneasy. Channel Islanders took this onboard and started utilising the “V” for victory sign.
Xavier De Guillebon – Photograph of the display at German Occupation Museum
Xavier De Guillebon was the first Channel Islander to be punished with imprisonment in Caen Prison. As the “V” sign campaign escalated the Germans threatened to have any perpetrators of this shot. Fortunately this didn’t happen.
Other personal acts were the wearing of V for victory badges made from coins. These were usually worn under the collar of a jacket and upon sighting a friend it was turned over to show the badge.
Examples of the badges fashioned from coins. These examples are on display at La Valette Museum in Guernsey.
Another example of actions taken against the Germans was an incident where two police constables spotted a very drunk German on the streets of St Peter Port. He was near the top of some steps and they gave him a shove resulting in him falling down the steps and sustaining significant injuries.3 They then called an Ambulance and were thanked by the Germans for helping their colleague. If they had been found out they would have probably been sent to prison for three months and fined two years pay.
News sheets
There were at least two organised groups that circulated news sheets after radios had been confiscated for the second time. These groups produced news sheets that were circulated at great risks to themselves.
One group was known as GUNS (Guernsey Underground News Service) and I wrote a blog post about them. You can read it on the link below.
There were acts of sabotage of varying levels during the course of the occupation. I have picked a few as examples.
Probably one of the longest running acts of sabotage was in Jersey. The Germans had kept on the civilian controller of the airport, Charles Roche. It is estimated that he was responsible for at least twenty eight German aircraft being written off between 1940 and 1942. Jersey War Tours wrote an excellent piece on this which is worth a read. You can find it here
Another example of the type of activities that were carried out to sabotage German plans is the “Matthew’s Sark Party”. Despite being forced by the Germans to work for them they managed to use this to carry out acts of sabotage. A summary of this is in the article below.
Other acts of sabotage included cutting telephone cables or removing wooden poles from fields. In the latter case it is entirely feasible that some of these wooden poles were removed by Germans desperate for firewood.
Guernsey Evening Press – 2nd March 1945
The poles had been placed there to inhibit the landing of gliders or parachutists and were rigged with explosives. It was therefore a very risky endeavour to go near them. Fortunately the only account I can find of a casualty is of a cow which wandered in amongst them.
Sheltering escaped forced workers and others
During the course of the occupation many escaped forced workers were sheltered by locals. Some were successfully hidden for a number of years and, some until liberation in May 1945.
Probably the best known story is that of Louisa Gould and Russian Bill. You can read about this tragic story here.
As well as forced labourers there were instances of prisoners of war being helped to escape. You can read about two Americans here.
Escapes from the Channel Islands
An estimated 225 people escaped from the Channel Islands over the course of the occupation. These escapers were able to provide valuable intelligence to M.I. 19, a branch of military intelligence. This consisted of not only the state of islanders but also the defences on the islands.
This was a risky proposition because of the risk of being shot whilst trying to escape and the risks of being at sea in boats that were often unsuitable for the task.
Defiance
One of the best known acts of defiance is that of Major Marie Ozanne. I wrote a blog about her on the link below.
There were various different threatened repercussions in response to these acts. Ranging from being made to provide guards to patrol in the case of sabotage or “V” signs to threat of the death penalty. Examples of various notices published threatening serious consequences.
From the German Occupation MuseumGuernsey Evening Press – 19 March 1941
From August 1st 1942, all inhabitants of the Channel Isles who are held in custody for any reason by the German Authorities, either in the Channel Islands or France, are liable to the DEATH PENALTY if any attacks or acts of sabotage are made against the Occupying Power in the Occupied Territory.
In addition, I declare that, henceforth, I reserve to myself the right to nominate certain members of any Parish who will be liable to the Death Penalty in the event of any attacks against communications, as for instance harbours, cranes, bridges, cables and wires, if these are made with the assistance or with the knowledge of the inhabitants of the Parish concerned. In their own interest I call upon the population for an increased activity and watchfulness in combating all suspicious elements, and to co-operate in the discovery of the guilty persons. The population
of the Island are once more reminded that, in accordance with the German Military Law and in agreement with the Hague Convention, penalties are as follows.
Espionage: The death penalty.
Sabotage: The death penalty.
High Treason: The death penalty or penal servitude for life.
Der Feldkommandantur, Gez. KNACKFUSS, Jersey, den 27.7.42. Oberst.
Memorials
There are memorials in both Guernsey & Jersey to those that died as a result of their acts of protest, defiance and resistance.
The Jersey Memorial has a similar inscription which reads:
During the period of the German occupation of Jersey, from 1 July 1940 to 9 May 1945, many inhabitants were imprisoned for acts of protest and defiance against the Occupation Forces in H.M. Prison, Gloucester Street which stood on this site. Others were deported and held in camps in Germany and elsewhere from which some did not return.”
Jersey Memorial
Conclusion
As will have become clear from this post there are many stories to explore in this area and I will be dealing with these future blog posts.
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.
The 16th of May marks the anniversary of the liberation of Alderney. Alderney had been almost completely evacuated save for the family of Alderney resident George Pope. There were therefore few Alderney people there to see the liberation.
Force 135 had bypassed Alderney as there were estimated to be some 3,000 Germans there as well as some political prisoners and slave workers, although many of those had been removed from the island in late 1943 and 1944.
On 16th May “Plan Merit” was undertaken to liberate Alderney. An armed trawler HMT Beal set off for Alderney along with two LCI’s, Landing Craft Infantry, carrying approximately two hundred men of all ranks.
Brigadier Snow A.E. Snow accepted the surrender of the Alderney garrison from Oberstleutnant Schwalm, who was the Island Commandant, at a property which is called Peacehaven which was used as the Officers’ Mess.
The picture below shows five German officers in uniform sitting around a table within the interior of an Officers’ Mess. One of the German officers, Schwalm, signs a document on the table in front of him, watched by a British naval officer who is sitting on the same side of the table, two British officers sitting at the end of the table and a crowd of British officers gathering at the door behind them.
Once the document was signed the Union Flag was duly raised.
Alderney had been left in a terrible mess by the Germans who had destroyed many of the buildings by stripping them of wood and other materials to burn as well as causing other damage.
Some of the Germans were kept back to clear up the mess they had made and deal with removal of land mines and other weapons but a large number were removed within a few days and taken to England as prisoners of war.
As I mentioned above there were only a handful of Alderney residents there at the liberation. The islanders had almost totally evacuated in the summer of 1940 and were not to return in any numbers until 15 December 1945, which is now celebrated as “Homecoming Day” you can read about that in my blog post 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.
