In this episode of Islands at War, hosts Keith Pengelley and Nick Le Huray delve into the complexities of life in Guernsey during the German occupation in December 1942.
They discuss the establishment of prohibited zones, the registration of local labour for German work, and the pervasive rumours of German withdrawal. The conversation also touches on the economic challenges faced by the islanders, including supply shortages and the rise of the black market. As Christmas approaches, the hosts reflect on the struggles of families to celebrate amidst scarcity, and the ongoing efforts to control communication and information flow by the occupying forces.
Takeaways
The establishment of prohibited zones was a significant military strategy.
Local labour registration was a contentious issue during the occupation.
Rumours of German withdrawal circulated widely among the islanders.
Supply increases were often misleading and did not reflect true availability.
The black market thrived due to resource scarcity and economic pressures.
Christmas in 1942 was marked by hardship and creativity in celebrations.
Wireless communication remained a point of control for the Germans.
The Germans used fear tactics to maintain control over the population.
Local responses to German policies varied, with some pushing back against labour demands.
The impact of the occupation on daily life was profound and multifaceted.
So much to talk about that has often been overlooked, covered here and in part two which will follow.
This episode we have the stories of two Spitfire Pilots who having been shot down in the Channel Islands end up at Stalag Luft III and one of them takes part in the Great Escape.
One of the pilots Norman Amos can be found in the picture below.
A Lancaster crash lands in Sark and the crew survive only to be captured and become POWs.
The mystery of a German soldier called George Falla, yes you read that correctly a German soldier with a Guernsey name!
We talk about the hullabaloo caused when the Irish enquire if any Irish citizens have been deported and the Germans realise they made a mistake.
The Guernsey Deportees Podcast by Ollie Guillou is well worth a listen. You can find it here.
Find us on all the podcast platforms by clicking here.
A massive thank you to Matt Gaudion for this excellent article that he provided for the blog. Matt lives in Jersey but is originally from Guernsey. An operation that is often overlooked in the whole scheme of things.
Monday 17th June 1940
During the chaos and confusion that befell France in the first half of June 1940, a number of major events occurred on a single, critical day. One of these, the sinking of the HMT Lancastria, is so sensitive that the official report remains embargoed under the ‘100 year rule’ part of the Official Secrets Act until 2040.
This blog post will tell the story of Monday 17th June 1940, which placed the Channel Islands on the very frontline of world events.
Events leading up to Monday 17th June
Reinforced by the 2017 Christopher Nolan film, the evacuation of Dunkirk is lodged in the collective memory of anyone with an awareness of this period. However, there’s a seldom told evacuation that occurred weeks later, all along Western France, including via the Brittany port of St Malo which is the nearest major French port to the Channel Island of Jersey.
At 11:30pm on Sunday 2nd June, Major-General Harold Alexnder took a motor launch and sailed along the beaches towards Bray Dunes at Dunkirk, at the top of the length of beach next to the harbour. Calling out to any men who may be remaining, but hearing no reply, the signal went out “BEF [British Expeditionary Force] evacuated, Returning now” and sailed away from a beach silhouetted by discarded trucks and equipment (much was destined to be repurposed by the Nazis), turning towards home.
There’s a common misconception that the Dunkirk evacuation ended the involvement of British troops on French soil in 1940, but in fact there was a second BEF.
Such was the pressure at the very top of the British Government to keep the French fighting, that agreement was given to dispatch multiple divisions (each approx. 16k personnel) of British troops and the 1st Canadian Division to France. This second BEF was led by Lieutenant-General Alan Brooke, who was vocal towards senior military and political leaders of the futility of the effort, but it went ahead nonetheless. Only a fraction of these forces made it across the English Channel. Some would be captured, but most would require evacuation.
As Allied troops embarked at south coast English ports, the German war machine was surging as part of its Blitzkrieg aiming to destroy the French as a viable fighting force. Meanwhile, Winston Churchill was making multiple and hazardous trips to visit the French Government, including with their Prime Minister Paul Reynaud.
Gradually, as the Nazi Panzers partly led by Erwin Rommel made their way towards Paris, the French Government ‘fell back’. Burning documents and taking only essentials, they established a temporary capital in the Loire valley, at Tours, and then moved West to further safety in Bordeaux.
It was Sunday June 16th that in London a last ditch attempt to stiffen French resistance was made. It was proposed that a full political union would exist between Britain and France. This proposal would have merged the two great powers, and created a single country. It briefly seemed as though it might gain some traction, and was chiefly motivated by the British attempting to avoid the French fleet falling into German hands.
However, by the time it was received, defeatism had fully taken hold of the French leadership, and as Paul Reynaud presented it to the Government, it was firmly rejected as a British plot to pickup French colonies overseas. If this offer had been made a week prior, the counter-factual history is fascinating as this could indeed have given resolve to French efforts to continue fighting from beyond their borders, and may have stymied the effect of any ‘Vichy’ type regime.
Serious consideration was also given to forming a ‘Breton Redoubt’ as last bastion against Nazi dominance, from which to continue the struggle. [map] It was into Brittany where thousands of refugees and Allied troops flooded overnight on Sunday 16th June, and towards what would be one of the most notable days of the war, Monday 17th June 1940.
The Evacuation of Saint Malo
In the British Channel Island of Jersey at this time, much speculation was taking place over if the Nazis would invade. There was a significant focus on ‘business as usual’ to the extent that sailings of passenger vessels from the UK were continuing to occur, and there were even holiday makers and business day trippers still on the island when the Germans did invade. They would not see or hear from any English countrymen for 5 long years of Nazi occupation.
There was some nervousness about what would happen next. Jersey is within sight of the Cotentin peninsula, and at this point Jersey was not ‘demilitarised’ as it would shortly be by the British government.
On Sunday 16th June, the Jersey Bailiff (Civil Head of Government) Sir Alexander Coutache, was summoned to see the Lieutenant-Governor who is the Kings appointed representative, and he was shown a telegram. It was from the Admiralty (HQ of the Royal Navy), and it was requesting ‘all available craft to be sent immediately’ to the nearby French port of St Malo to assist in the evacuation of British troops.
Without delay, the Bailiff asked the Commodore of the St Helier Yacht club, William Le Masurier to organise the small ships needed. A meeting of the St Helier Yacht club that afternoon lead to multiple volunteers putting themselves forward for this dangerous mission. It wasn’t straightforward, as several members had already left the island, including many men of fighting age. Some had not made ready their vessels for sea since the previous winter, in the impending uncertainty over the invasion. The majority of the vessels were between 26-40 ft, and constituted pleasure craft or fishing boats.
The first little boats crewed by mostly older Jerseymen (including teenage helpers, some of whom had never been to sea before) left St Helier before midnight that evening. They were headed towards what was then an active war zone and frontline, with the Nazi blitzkrieg approaching.
Twenty small boats from Jersey were involved, including the ex lifeboat, and the States of Jersey Government motor launch, the Duchess of Normandy. Under significant pressure and in what must have been a stressful time, over 20,000 personnel were evacuated via St Malo port, using a combination of the Jersey boats and locally based vessels, which went onwards to England.
The degree of confusion meant that even British diplomatic staff were caught up as the drama unfolded. One of the St Helier Yacht club vessels, Teazer brought back the British consul Vyvyan Macleod Ferrers. He was to go on to reside in Jersey with his wife, and ultimately was sent to a German prison camp, but he did survive the war.
Aftermath
In 1952, the St Helier Yacht club was awarded a rare honour of a special Battle Honour in the form of a defaced Red Ensign. This includes the gold crossed axes to represent St Helier along with the Admiralty pattern anchor. There’s a fascinating article on the Jersey War Tunnels website about this whole episode, which I recommend to anyone interested.
When we look back at history with our certain view of events that did occur, it is hard to imagine the sheer uncertainty of what those living through these times went through. The local population were not sure whether there would be fighting or significant area bombing of the island by the invading forces, or whether British troops would fight street to street to ward off the invaders.
There was a bombing raid towards the end of June 1940 which in Guernsey killed 33 islanders, and in Jersey 10, but fortunately for the local population there was no further engagement, and the islands were surrendered peacefully not long after.
It was crucially important to the British that useful infrastructure in northern France did not fall into German hands. There was a genuine belief that the next target would be the south coast of England, and that port facilities would be directed towards that effort. A combined operation called ‘XD’ was put into action, of which St Malo was code named XD (M).
At 2pm on Sunday 16th June, HMS Wild Swan set sail from Plymouth with a party of 32 men of combined Royal Navy/Engineers led by Commander C D Howard-Johnston DSC, and 8 tonnes of explosives.
Their orders were to call in at St Helier on the way, make contact with the island government, and proceed onwards to St Malo and destroy the port equipment. Upon arriving in St Helier early in the evening, and a brief conversation with Jersey Government officials, HMS Wild Swan sailed onwards at 11:30pm, towards St Malo.
Arriving in St Malo shortly before 1:00am, HMS Wild Swan disembarked the demolition party and explosives, and immediately got out of danger, returning to Plymouth without waiting for them to complete their mission. This was likely part of the planning, as a Royal Navy destroyer at anchor outside a key allied held port as daylight approached, would have presented too tempting target for Luftwaffe crews overhead.
During the course of Monday 17th June, charges were set by the demolition party and at 1:20pm, the petrol tank depots along the harbour were destroyed. It was at this point around 2pm that a message arrived saying that the Germans were no more than 9 miles away from the harbour.
The lock gates were then blown up, rendering the harbour useless and the demolition party embarked on the Jersey small craft. This was to be the last time anyone was to see freedom in St Malo until 15th August 1944, when it was finally liberated by US forces under General Patton, after fierce fighting.
Thanks to Matt for submitting this contribution to the blog.
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 has been a long time coming, mostly because I just wanted to get it right, partly because I kept finding things that needed to to given the proper attention they deserved.
Aside from a few short articles over the years nobody has written about those that escaped from Guernsey or Alderney. There was a very short print run book about escapes from Jersey but other than that little is written about them.
I explore the whole dilemma of escaping and leaving friends and family behind, the changing attitudes of those in Government to these escapes, and the risks that people took.
These escapes were also very important for military intelligence in the England as well as those that were evacuated before the occupation and desperate for news of loved ones.
I also deal with some aspect of commando raids and espionage during the occupation.
I have had a lot of emails, comments on social media and WhatsApp messages asking if I knew about this two part documentary coming out from Minnow Films.
As it happens they contacted me for some input when they were pitching the idea back in early 2024 as they had been reading the blog and listened to early early episodes of the podcast ‘Islands at War’ that Keith and I produce.
I gave they them a steer and we had a long Zoom call about potential diarists that they could use and other contacts. This was followed by a lot of emails with guidance. As is the way with these things they go quiet for a long time and you never know what route they will take. I have had my fingers burned before!
Pleased to report that they have done a cracking job with episode one and it is entirely accurate, save for the stock footage of aircraft, no Stukas took part in the Bombing of the Channel Islands on the 28th June 1940. The only other slight blooper spotted by my friend Alasdair Davidson, a fairly niche spot, of an external shot of the outside of the Royal Court in Guernsey and then an internal shot of the Royal Court in Jersey! Can you tell he is acquainted with both on a professional level? Oh and apparently I missed some Matilda Tanks that he spotted! 🙂
So well done Minnow Films for an accurate representation of life under German Occupation seen through the eyes of those that lived through it.
If this has increased your appetite for more of the stories from these diarists and others that are unpublished then check out our podcast on your favourite podcast app by searching ‘Islands at War’ or by going here
This episode explores the impact of military operations, including commando raids and the strategic significance of locations like the Casquets and Alderney. The discussion also highlights the complexities of collaboration and resistance during the German occupation, as well as the challenges faced by local populations.
The conversation explores various aspects of life in Guernsey during the occupation, focusing on recruitment efforts, education initiatives, curfews, health concerns, food shortages, personal escape stories, and the impact of deportations. The speakers discuss how the community adapted to challenges, the importance of education, and the resilience of individuals during difficult times.
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, the hosts delve into the events of June 1942 in Jersey and Guernsey during the German occupation. They discuss various topics including the challenges of movement between the islands, a mysterious cobbler’s attempt to return to Jersey, a crime wave involving a young boy, the request for candles from Jersey, the second anniversary of the occupation, the significance of the Channel Island Monthly Review, and the restrictions on radios and photography.
The conversation highlights the local community’s resilience and the impact of the occupation on daily life. This conversation delves into the experiences and challenges faced during the German occupation of the Channel Islands in World War II. It highlights the medical concerns, resistance against German authority, the impact of deportation, military rumours, and personal anecdotes from the war. The discussion also touches on community engagement and reflections on historical events, emphasising the lasting effects of the occupation on local society.
A copy of the Channel Island Monthly Review from my collection.
Below is the Jersey Heritage post we mentioned about the diarist Le Sauteur.
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.
This episode explores the challenges faced during the occupation of the Channel Islands in World War II, focusing on food supply issues, escape attempts, personal stories of individuals affected by the war, and the role of theatre as a form of escapism during difficult times.
Delving into various aspects of life during the occupation, including the use of subliminal messaging in theatre, bizarre orders from the German command, the underground scouting movement, community life around Forest Church, escape attempts, food shortages, the experiences of French workers, medical supply issues, concerns over invasion, and the humour that emerged amidst the tension. The discussion highlights the resilience and adaptability of the local population during challenging times.
Food Queue in Le Pollet. Image Courtesy of Island Archives Guernsey
We also mentioned a tour Nick is doing with Jo May. You can find details here
Listen at the link below or go to your favourite 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.
I had the great pleasure of talking to Andy Creber about his Grandfather Werner Rang. A well known Sark resident post war.
This conversation delves into the remarkable life of Werner Rang, a German medical orderly conscripted during World War II, who served in the Channel Islands.
His story is shared by his grandson, Andy, who recounts Werner’s experiences from his idyllic childhood in Germany, through his conscription and medical duties during the occupation, to his post-war life in Sark.
The discussion highlights the complexities of identity, duty, and personal connections formed during and after the war, as well as the importance of preserving family history through photographs and letters.
Takeaways
Werner Rang was a German medical orderly conscripted during WWII.
He served in the Channel Islands during the German occupation.
Werner was awarded the British Empire Medal for his service as a paramedic.
He met his wife, Phyllis, while serving in Sark. Their relationship blossomed through letters during the war.
Werner was a POW after the war but continued to provide medical care.
He became a respected member of the Sark community post-war. Werner’s story reflects the complexities of wartime identity.
Family photographs and letters are vital for preserving history. The conversation emphasises the importance of sharing personal stories.
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.
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.
