The German Occupation of the Channel Islands · KS3 History

1940: evacuation and invasion

In June 1940, Britain decided it couldn't defend the Channel Islands. About 17,000 people, including most of Guernsey's schoolchildren, were evacuated to England.
On 28 June 1940, German planes bombed St Peter Port harbour, killing more than 30 people. German forces arrived on 30 June 1940.
The island was run by the Bailiff, Victor Carey, and a Controlling Committee (led first by Ambrose Sherwill), under German orders.

Clocks changed to German time, traffic drove on the right, a curfew was imposed, newspapers were censored and German money was used.
From 1942, islanders' radios were confiscated to stop them hearing BBC news.
In September 1942, hundreds of British-born islanders were deported to internment camps in Germany.
Three Jewish women living in Guernsey were deported in 1942 and murdered at Auschwitz.
Some islanders resisted: the Guernsey Underground News Service (GUNS) secretly spread BBC news until its members were caught in 1944, and people hid radios and painted V-for-victory signs.

Hitler ordered the islands turned into a fortress as part of the Atlantic Wall. Bunkers, gun batteries and observation towers were built all over Guernsey.
The work was done by forced labourers of the Organisation Todt, many from occupied Europe, who were treated harshly.
Alderney was almost completely evacuated. The Germans built camps there, including an SS camp, where many forced labourers and prisoners died.

After D-Day in June 1944, the islands were cut off from France, and food and fuel ran desperately short.
The Red Cross ship SS Vega brought food parcels, first reaching Guernsey in December 1944.
The German surrender was signed on board HMS Bulldog, and Guernsey was liberated on 9 May 1945. Liberation Day is celebrated every year on 9 May.

Occupation: When a country or area is controlled by a foreign army.
Evacuation: Moving people away from danger.
Deportation: Forcing people to leave a place.
Curfew: A rule that people must stay indoors at certain times.
Censorship: Controlling what can be published or said.
Organisation Todt: The German organisation that used forced labour to build fortifications.
Atlantic Wall: German defences along the coast of Europe.
Resistance: Actions taken to oppose the occupiers.
Liberation: Being set free from occupation.