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German Occupation Museum
Guernsey |
The Guernsey Occupation Museum chronicles the German Occupation of Guernsey from 1940 to 1945.
EVACUATION
18th June 1940 - Following the fall of France evacuation of women, children and men of military age announced. Channel Islands demilitarised.
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| Guernsey Evacuee |
INVASION
1st July 1940 - .
Major Albrecht Lanz arrives at Guernsey Airport together with German troops. He announces Guernsey is under German Occupation.
OCCUPATION
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| German anti-aircraft gun |
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| German Searchlight |
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| German uniforms and anti-aircraft gun |
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| German officer and picture of St Peter Port |
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| German Uniforms |
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| German Vehicle |
Occupation Street
The people of Guernsey tried to about life as normal.....
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| Civilians go about daily business |
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| VM Occupation Street |
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| Schooling carried on |
However ................
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| British Bobby - but under German control |
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| German Army never far away |
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| Civilians were restricted from military and coastal areas |
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| Restrictions and rules were introduced |
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| Cinemas were segregated |
With so many Germans on the island (one German to every islander), and the small size providing no places to hide, meant aggressive resistance was not practical. The civilian population took to passive resistance, underground newspapers and low scale sabotage. Churchill's 'V for Victory' sign appeared on buildings and other locations.
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| Passive resistance 'V ' sign |
Fortress Guernsey
October 1941 - Hitler Decrees Channel Islands should be turned into a impregnable fortress. Organisation Todt tasked to build fortifications using force labour.
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| Guernsey - German Fortifications |
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| Forced Labourer |
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| Guernsey - Miras Battery |
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| German range finders |
June 1942 - All wireless sets belonging to the civilian population are ordered to be handed over to the Germans.
Occupation Kitchen - To keep in touch with what was happening in the War, people hid wireless sets or constructed crystal sets and tuned into the BBC to obtain their news.
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| Occupation Kitchen. - listening to the BBC |
The penalties for listening to the BBC could result in imprisonment. As well as the German authorities, clandestine radio listeners needed to be careful of being denounced by collaborators.
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| Letter from collaborator to German authorities |
German Occupation - Deportation of Civilians
September 1942 - Over 2,000 Channel Islanders are deported to internment camps principally at Biberach, Laufen, Dorsten and Wurzach.
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| Biberach montage |
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| Biberach Camp model |
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| Biberach Camp accommodation |
RED CROSS SHIP 'SS VEGA'
December 1944 - The Red Cross ship 'Vega' arrives in Guernsey with much needed food supplies to save the population from starvation.
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| SS Vega |
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| Arrival of the SS Vega |
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| Red Cross Parcels |
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| Red Cross Parcel contents |
LIBERATION
9th May 1945 - The Germans surrender to combined British forces, Force 135 led by Brigadier Snow lands on Guernsey and the long five years of German occupation are finally over.
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| Welcome sign for the Liberators |
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| Liberation |
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| War is over...Peace and Liberation |
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| Meeting a Gunner from Force 135 |
