The Channel Islands: Occupied by the Germans in WW2
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney & Sark under Nazi rule
The photograph you see above is a typical scene showing the island of Jersey in the days before the Second World War. The scene is idyllic. We see rolling countryside, the sea, Jersey cows gently grazing in the field, an historic castle and a man and boy taking a rest from their labours and gazing out at the scenery on a beautiful sunny day.
This changed dramatically on 30th June 1940.
There was no longer a British military presence in these islands. Although they are a part of the UK, our government didn't see them as having any strategic importance. This left the way open for the German army, who now occupied France just a few miles away.
I was teenager when I first went to Jersey. I had a family connection there. My cousin was the official botanist on the island - its produce is well-known and in demand in mainland Britain.
Although this was twenty five years after the end of the Second World War, my younger brother and I were fascinated to see that remnants of the occupation - fortifications and so on - were still there. The most haunting of these was (and still is) the underground hospital built by the Nazis using slave labour. (See the video below).
Prior to the occupation, many children had been evacuated. Some adults too had left the islands believing, rightly, that Hitler would not ignore this opportunity to occupy British soil. It was a great propaganda tool for the Germans.
But what about those people who were left on the islands? How would they cope living under enemy rule?
Before we move on
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Britons under Nazi rule
The image above is typical of the type of fortification that can be seen throughout the Channel Islands. Whilst the rest of the family were on the beach or enjoying picnics, my brother and I were discovering old bunkers like this one. Going inside them was beyond creepy.
It made us realise - or at least gave us some idea - what life was like under Nazi occupation.
We bought books (see below) and it was unbelievable to see men in Nazi uniform in red British telephone boxes, seeing the famous photograph of a British bobby, complete with distinctive helmet, talking to a German officer in uniform. This photograph was widely circulated in Germany to boost morale.
The occupying army immediately put their own laws into force. There was a curfew for civilians and owning a radio set was made illegal. The German army would put up with no shows of British patriotism.
One young woman, a waitress, was greeted by a German officer with the customary 'Heil Hitler' to which she replied 'Heil Churchill'. She was immediately deported to a prison camp in Germany.
This was not an isolated incident - many people suffered the same fate for minor infringements.
The Germans immediately put their anti-Jewish policies into place too, forcing Jewish-owned businesses to close.
Life was hard for the islanders but the Nazis had a good chain of supply from German-occupied France. The islanders lived on their wits. The islands were finally liberated after almost five years of Nazi rule - on 9th May, 1945.
Photo Gallery
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Recommended
People who were seventeen or over when the Channel Island were first occupied, if they are still alive, are over ninety now. Fortunately we have some of their reminiscences available. There are unlikely to be more.
Read more about the occupation of the Channel Islands.
The underground hospital
Jersey is a wonderful place for a beach vacation. It has everything. In fact, it has something that no other beach holiday can offer - the opportunity to visit the underground hospital which is now an incredible museum.
It's impossible to visit the museum without thinking about the men who laboured there to build it. Work continued right through until the end of the war.
The main thing I remember was an official's office. It was exactly as it would have been in the 1940s. On the desk was a newspaper and - the item that was so poignant - a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles. It was easy to imagine that the commandant had been there minutes before and had just stepped out for a moment. Very chilling.
If you're going to the Channel Islands, you can still visit the museum today. The details are here.
If you're in London, Jersey is only an hour away by air and ticket prices are low.
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© 2014 Jackie Jackson
