Patriot Realm

" Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. " Ronald Reagan 

It was Winston Churchill who made the tough decision to surrender the few to save the many back in World War II ......on many occasions.  

I had read a book - some years ago - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - and was amazed that I had not known about the occupation of the Channel islands until I read the book.  While the book is a very soft look at a harsh period of time, it did its job: it spurred me on to learn more. 

Winston Churchill had made the tough decision to sacrifice the Channel Islands at the outbreak of World War II. To save the many, he sacrificed the few. 

Today, we are increasingly feeling abandoned by our governments as they pursue their zealous dreams of a gay, transgender, Islamic, green agenda where we will be left, as the majority, living on potato peels and hiding our books from the constant fear of the nazi jackboot on our throats. 

Today, we are asked to surrender the many to save the few... and in doing so, we are surrendering everything that our forebears fought and died for. 

The Channel Islands, comprising Jersey and Guernsey, which also comprised Alderney and Sark, fell under German control on 30 June 1940, just weeks after the fall of France. The islands were demilitarised, and most British troops had been evacuated, leaving the local population to face the invasion alone. The arrival of the German forces was met with a mix of fear, uncertainty, and resignation. Many islanders chose to stay, while others, particularly those with children, evacuated to mainland Britain before the occupation began.

Approximately 25,000 left, while 66,000 remained. There were 41,101 left in Jersey, 24,429 in Guernsey and 470 in Sark, with just 18 in Alderney.

Life under German rule was marked by strict regulations, curfews, and the constant presence of soldiers. The island's residents faced food shortages, restricted freedom of movement, and the loss of personal liberties. The Germans requisitioned homes, businesses, and resources, often leaving locals with little more than the bare necessities.

The occupation also brought about a deep sense of isolation. Communication with the outside world was severely limited, and the islanders were cut off from their friends and families on the mainland. The German occupiers sought to suppress any signs of resistance, and while there were acts of defiance, they were often carried out in secret and with great risk.

The human toll of the occupation was immense. Food was rationed, and as the war dragged on, shortages became more acute. Islanders had to adapt to new diets, often relying on home-grown vegetables and foraged foods. Malnutrition and illness became common, and medical supplies were scarce.

Meanwhile, in London, people endured the relentless attacks during the Blitz.  

On the night of August 24, 1940, Luftwaffe bombers aiming for military targets on the outskirts of London drifted off course and instead dropped their bombs on the center of London destroying several homes and killing civilians. Amid the public outrage that followed, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, believing it was a deliberate attack, ordered Berlin to be bombed the next evening.

About 40 British bombers managed to reach Berlin and inflicted minimal property damage. However, the Germans were utterly stunned by the British air-attack on Hitler's capital. It was the first time bombs had ever fallen on Berlin. Making matters worse, they had been repeatedly assured by Luftwaffe Chief, Hermann Göring, that it could never happen. A second British bombing raid on the night of August 28/29 resulted in Germans killed on the ground. Two nights later, a third attack occurred.

German nerves were frayed. The Nazis were outraged. In a speech delivered on September 4, Hitler threatened, "...When the British Air Force drops two or three or four thousand kilograms of bombs, then we will in one night drop 150-, 230-, 300- or 400,000 kilograms. When they declare that they will increase their attacks on our cities, then we will raze their cities to the ground. We will stop the handiwork of those night air pirates, so help us God!"

Beginning on September 7, 1940, and for a total of 57 consecutive nights, London was bombed. " historyplace.com

Back on the islands, families were separated, and the fear of deportation loomed large. In 1942, the Germans began deporting residents to internment camps in mainland Europe, particularly those born in Britain or of military age. This act of forced displacement left many families in anguish, uncertain of their loved ones' fate.

These deportations primarily targeted those who were born in Britain, had British military connections, or were considered a potential threat to German control. The experience of those sent to these camps was often harrowing, marked by uncertainty, harsh conditions, and a constant struggle for survival. The deportees from Guernsey were sent to various internment camps across Germany and France, including the notorious camps at Biberach, Laufen, and Wurzach. These camps were not concentration camps, but rather civilian internment camps, intended to hold those who were seen as potential enemies or liabilities to the German regime. 

But why were they sent away, you might ask.

In June 1941, Persia, now called Iran, was a neutral country with Germany as its largest trade partner. The Soviet Union was on its northern border. Britain had recently encamped in Iraq to the west, following an anti-British coup by Nazi sympathisers. On 22 June, Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of Soviet territory started.

Worried about the large expat German community in Iran undertaking espionage and subversion activities, on 19 July a joint Soviet/British demand was made to Persia to expel all German citizens. It was rejected on 29 July and renewed on 16 August, this time in coordination with the Americans at a conference on 9–12 August 1941. Persia eventually agreed to the demand, but by 25 August, Anglo-Soviet forces invaded the country.

In September, the German legation and women and children from the expat community were permitted to travel to Europe, as were the other Axis legations. German men of fighting age (18-45) were rounded up, most preferring British to Soviet control. A few went into Soviet hands and were shipped to Siberia. The British then separated out Jewish Germans who could remain in Persia. The remaining men were sent to India for internment, some ended up in camps in Australia. Hitler was furious, albeit hypocritical, to complain of an invasion of a neutral country and the internment of German men. His immediate reaction was to find out what reprisals were possible.

The German Foreign Office response was that British people in the Channel Islands were effectively interned as they could not leave without permission. A rough estimate from Jersey indicated about 2,000 men in the Island had been born in the United Kingdom. This was short of the 8,000 that were needed if a ratio of 10:1 was to be applied. More accurate lists of men were demanded, including a list of Persian citizens. The demand for lists was expanded to include women and children. By 10 November, lists were submitted by the Island authorities. source

Conditions in the camps were harsh. Prisoners were subjected to overcrowded living quarters, inadequate food rations, and poor sanitation. Malnutrition and disease were common, and medical care was minimal. The psychological strain of imprisonment, compounded by the uncertainty of when or if they would be released, weighed heavily on the internees. Communication between the camps and the island was severely restricted, and the deportees often had little to no contact with their families. This lack of information created a constant sense of fear and worry, as those left behind had no way of knowing whether their loved ones were safe or even alive.

The internment camps were eventually liberated as Allied forces advanced into Germany and France in 1944 and 1945. For the deportees, liberation was a moment of immense relief, but the journey back to their home was fraught with challenges. Many of the returning internees were physically weakened by their time in the camps. Malnutrition, illness, and the effects of prolonged confinement had taken a toll on their health. The process of physical recovery was slow, and for some, the damage was long-lasting. Psychologically, the experience of internment left deep scars. The trauma of the separation, the fear of never returning home, and the dehumanizing conditions in the camps had a profound impact on the mental health of the survivors.

Reintegrating into normal life after such an ordeal was a difficult and complex process. The return of the deportees was a bittersweet moment. While many were joyously reunited with their families, others returned to find that their loved ones had not survived the war. The emotional toll of these reunions, marked by both joy and sorrow, was immense. The experience of internment left a lasting legacy on those who endured it. Many survivors struggled with the memories of their time in the camps, and the psychological impact of their ordeal was felt for years, if not decades, after the war. The internment also left a mark on the collective memory of the island, shaping the way the occupation is remembered and commemorated.

" On a warm summer's day in 1995, the Mayor of Bad Wurzach, a little town in southern Germany, led my husband and me to the town's imposing Schloss. As we approached the gates I struggled to adjust my fifty-year-old memories of a grim, grey building, surrounded by rolled barbed wire and patrolled by soldiers with guns and fierce Alsatian dogs, to this fine renovated castle, gleaming with fresh paint. Here were colourful, cheerful gardens where I remembered a bare compound, iron-hard from soldiers' boots. My deeply-etched mental picture was of a prison camp, grey and black and hard and bare. This was a grand baroque castle, shining in the August sun. But the same guardhouses were still there at the gates.

My last view of these gates had been when they were flung open for the American lorries to tear through, throwing up clouds of dust, as they carried the Schloss's inmates out of their prison to the airport. It was a hot day and the American soldiers drove at tremendous speed over bumpy roads; I wasn't the only child being sick over the tailgate. But the speed and the vanishing view of Wurzach could not have been more welcome; after two years and nine months behind barbed wire, these ordinary civilian men, women and children, from babies to teenagers, were at last going home. " source

The occupation also brought about a moral dilemma for the islanders. Some chose to collaborate with the Germans to ensure their survival, while others resisted in small but significant ways. The tension between collaboration and resistance created an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust that would linger long after the war ended.

Solidarity among the islanders was crucial.

Communities banded together to share resources, support each other emotionally, and maintain a sense of normalcy in the face of adversity. The church played a significant role in providing spiritual comfort, and local traditions were upheld as a way to preserve cultural identity.

Something to think about, isn't it?