Life in Guernsey 1940-1945
The Channel Islands were the only British territory to be occupied by the Germans during World War Two.
When the invasion was imminent the men of fighting age and the school children were evacuated to the mainland. The island of Guernsey was demilitarized but the Germans didn't know there would be no resistance.
click to enlarge
The Germans bombed the island including these lorries carrying tomatoes thinking that they were munitions.
Soon they landed at the airport and marched into town.
The towns people watch the troops march. Things were cordial--for a while.
The coastline was heavily mined, fishermen had to have permission to leave in their boats and nighttime curfews were put in place. All crystal sets (radios) had to be turned in. People were encouraged to rat on their neighbors.
To boost morale, people would write a "V" on walls; the penalties if caught were harsh.
I wish I had my own Enigma machine
Streets were renamed in German
Rationing and Making Do
Toward the end of the occupation this much milk would have been a luxury
A dollhouse made from wooden cigar boxes
A truck made from scrapmetal
Waiting for commodities
During the last year of the occupation food became very scarce. The Red Cross sent a ship with boxes of food for the islanders and saved their lives.
Resistance
I couldn't get the typewriter and the sign in the photo, but you know what a typewriter looks like, unless you're under 30.
The hardship of the occupation years are shown in this diorama of a farmhouse kitchen. Meals were made from very meager rations. The farmers wife cautiously keeps watch while her husband listens to the BBC on his illegal crystal set. The family pets have been brought inside to prevent them from being stolen and eaten by the hungry occupying forces.
This gal had spunk!
Liberation
The Channel Islands were liberated from the occupying German forces on 9 May 1945 by the British. The unconditional surrender had been signed just hours before this photo was taken.
2 comments:
Wow what history. We really have life so good in 2012, don t we. So interesting. Thank you for sharing!
This post is fascinating for me! I recently finished James Bradley's 'Flag of Our Fathers' and am almost through his 2nd book, 'Flyboys'. Both are incredible (albeit harshly truthful at times) WWII books. So, these pictures and descriptions particularly touched me right now, especially hearing of the resistance and resilience of the human spirit! What a unique opportunity for you to see these things first hand!!
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