Jersey during World War II

(those explanations come from the Jersey War Tunnels Museum, I wanted to share them with you, because I was very surprised to discover all this, it is a part of history which has been a bit forgotten, at least abroad)

During World War II, the Channel Islands were occupied by the Germans, between 01/07/1940 and 09/05/1945.

The German Underground Hospital, built by hundreds of labourers between Sept 1941 and June 1944
On Sept 3 1939, Islanders gathered around their radios to hear Britain declare war on Germany. For the next eight months war waged in the skies and in the Atlantic. The threat of gas attack was taken seriously in Jersey. Children were sent home from school if they forgot their gas masks. But the war still seemed very far away.

On 16 June 1940, the Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey received an emergency telegram from the British Admiralty requesting that: 'Jersey send all available craft to St Malo to help the evacuation of British troops from there.' Five boats left almost ommediately from St Helier, 14 more followed the next day. To prevent St Malo's harbour being used by the enemy, the departing British soldiers blew it up. The demolition party then boarded the available craft, including yachts from Jersey.
As the last few boats sped away, the German forces were entering the port.

On 19 June 1940, the British Government made a crucial decision: the Channel islands would not be defended against German invasion. With the Germans just days away, the Islanders who wished to leave would be evacuated. Between 20 June and 28 June, 25484 persons were evacuated.

The British Government decided that the Islands were to be demilitarised. Winston Churchill was reluctant to give the islands up without a fight but he was overruled by the Navy. The Islands had no strategic importance; a policy of withdrawal was adopted.

But the Germans had not been told the Channel Islands were undefended. They thought lorries loaded with barrels of potatoes were military vehicles.
Only on the day of the bombing did the BBC announce the demilitarisation of the Islands.
The next day an official message was sent to the Germans via the United States Embassy in Berlin.
The British has tried to keep the demilitarisation quiet, fearing the Germans would walk straight if they knew, and this cost the lives of 10 people in Jersey, and 28 in Guernsey.

Early on 1 July 1940, copies of a German ultimatum were dropped over Jersey. The Islanders were to show their surrender by flying white flags from all buildings. Sheets, pillowcases and some old vests were hurriedly hung up. A white cross was painted in the middle of the Royal Square. After pulling down the Union Jack that flew over Fort Regent, the Bailiff drove to the airport to meet the invaders.

After 4 years of occupation, forced labor, shortage of food, and all the nightmares faced by the populations during WW2, the allied troops landed on Normandy beaches in June 1944. Two months later, the Islanders realised with sinking hearts that the invasion had passed them by.
The French ports fell to the Allies and Jersey was cut off from all new supplies.

In September, the Germans told the British government that civilian supplies were virtually exhausted, but the decision was that no supplies should be sent, as they would only prolong German resistance. The Islands faced starvation.

After weeks of deliberation, the War Office in London and the Germans reached an agreement.
Food parcels were to be conveyed to the Channel Islands by the Red Cross, and 7 trips were made to Jersey.
There were no Red Cross parcels for the German soldiers. They helped with the distribution but they were forbidden to take anything for themselves. The Islanders were now better off than they were.
Patrols of soldiers went foraging for berries and limpets on the beaches. They shot cats and dogs, their own horses and even seagulls for meat.

The first Liberation soldiers arrived on shore on 9 May 1945, months after France was liberated. 9581 Germans were shipped to England as prisoners of war, and 1680 men were kept behind to help clear up.