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"A little known part of WWII was the German occupation of the Channel Islands which lasted for most of the Second World War, specifically from 30 June 1940 until their liberation on 9 May 1945. The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are two British Crown dependencies in the English Channel, near the coast of Normandy. The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces) during the war.
Anticipating a swift victory over Britain, the occupiers experimented by using a very gentle approach that set the theme for the next five years. The island authorities adopted a similar attitude, giving rise to accusations of collaboration. However, as time progressed the situation grew gradually worse, ending in near starvation for both occupied and occupiers during the winter of 1944–45." COL Mikel J. Burroughs SGT Mark Anderson PO3 Phyllis Maynard SGT (Join to see) PO2 Frederick Dunn
Anticipating a swift victory over Britain, the occupiers experimented by using a very gentle approach that set the theme for the next five years. The island authorities adopted a similar attitude, giving rise to accusations of collaboration. However, as time progressed the situation grew gradually worse, ending in near starvation for both occupied and occupiers during the winter of 1944–45." COL Mikel J. Burroughs SGT Mark Anderson PO3 Phyllis Maynard SGT (Join to see) PO2 Frederick Dunn
German occupation of the Channel Islands - Wikipedia
Posted from en.wikipedia.org
Military History
United Kingdom
Germany
WWII World War Two
Edited 4 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
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In 1993, my wife and I drove her parents to visit distant family members in Friesland, near Schleswig and Hamburg, Germany. My mother-in-law spoke little-to-no German, her European cousins spoke little-to-no English. They invited their next-door neighbor over to translate, while we enjoyed Friesische tea with a dallop of cream and little balls of sugar.
This neighbor, in very broken and near-unintelligible English, explained that he was one of the occupying German forces on Guernsey and Jersey for the duration of the war. He claimed that, for the most part, he was assigned very routine duty, and he personally experienced little of the horrors of most German soldiers in WWII. Germany simply surrendered without him ever having to fight. He further explained that he had not spoken English since he was released from the British POW camp, over 45 years earlier.
I had a very difficult time understanding the old German veteran's "English"; finally my in-laws German relatives persuaded their teenage granddaughter, who was in high school, to overcome her shyness and to use her school English to help translate. She did a fantastic job.
Some time later, I ran across some Channel Islanders on holiday in Europe, guests at the same pension where we were staying. After exchanging pleasantries with them, I realized why I couldn't understand the old German soldier's English --- those Channel Islanders had very strong (and, to me, unfamiliar) dialects.
This neighbor, in very broken and near-unintelligible English, explained that he was one of the occupying German forces on Guernsey and Jersey for the duration of the war. He claimed that, for the most part, he was assigned very routine duty, and he personally experienced little of the horrors of most German soldiers in WWII. Germany simply surrendered without him ever having to fight. He further explained that he had not spoken English since he was released from the British POW camp, over 45 years earlier.
I had a very difficult time understanding the old German veteran's "English"; finally my in-laws German relatives persuaded their teenage granddaughter, who was in high school, to overcome her shyness and to use her school English to help translate. She did a fantastic job.
Some time later, I ran across some Channel Islanders on holiday in Europe, guests at the same pension where we were staying. After exchanging pleasantries with them, I realized why I couldn't understand the old German soldier's English --- those Channel Islanders had very strong (and, to me, unfamiliar) dialects.
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Pretty good tv series about this. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401019/
Island at War (TV Mini-Series 2004)
With Saskia Reeves, Owen Teale, Julia Ford, Clare Holman. Period: Second World War. A quiet channel island community is thrown into turmoil by the invasion forces of Nazi Germany.
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LTC Stephen C.
Cpl Mark McMiller, this is an old discussion thread (I know, I started it!), but I thought I might continue on a little. I have seen Island at War, and it was the principal reason I opened this discussion thread.
However, another film regarding the Channel Islands occupation has since been released, so I thought I might mention it. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a 2018 historical romantic-drama film directed by Mike Newell and written by Don Roos and Tom Bezucha. The screenplay is based on the 2008 novel of the same name, written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The film stars Lily James, Michiel Huisman, Glen Powell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Katherine Parkinson, Matthew Goode, Tom Courtenay and Penelope Wilton. Set in 1946, the plot follows a London-based writer who begins exchanging letters with a resident on the island of Guernsey, which was under German occupation during World War II.”
It’s pretty good. Give it a try!
Lt Col Charlie Brown SGT Mark Anderson COL Korey Jackson 1SG John Millan PO3 Phyllis Maynard SGT (Join to see)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guernsey_Literary_and_Potato_Peel_Pie_Society_(film)
However, another film regarding the Channel Islands occupation has since been released, so I thought I might mention it. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a 2018 historical romantic-drama film directed by Mike Newell and written by Don Roos and Tom Bezucha. The screenplay is based on the 2008 novel of the same name, written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The film stars Lily James, Michiel Huisman, Glen Powell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Katherine Parkinson, Matthew Goode, Tom Courtenay and Penelope Wilton. Set in 1946, the plot follows a London-based writer who begins exchanging letters with a resident on the island of Guernsey, which was under German occupation during World War II.”
It’s pretty good. Give it a try!
Lt Col Charlie Brown SGT Mark Anderson COL Korey Jackson 1SG John Millan PO3 Phyllis Maynard SGT (Join to see)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guernsey_Literary_and_Potato_Peel_Pie_Society_(film)
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Cpl Mark McMiller
LTC Stephen C. - I watched that one a while back and enjoyed it also. There is another series but I can't remember the name that is more like a soap opera format.
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This was a mess from start to finish on both sides. Because of the fighting and fears of escapees, the Germans limited the British acess to the water and as a result as the war whent on, food got scarcer and scarcer. I was told that by one of the British civilians working with me in the UK.
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LTC Stephen C.
This debacle is rarely discussed, Lt Col Charlie Brown, I believe due to the embarrassment of the British government and how they failed to handle the situation. No defense, late evacuation notice with virtually no water borne assets. I lay most of this at the feet of the British government.
PO3 Phyllis Maynard SGT (Join to see)
PO3 Phyllis Maynard SGT (Join to see)
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