It is impossible to imagine what the inhabitants of the Channel Islands went through during World War II. On June 19, 1940, the British government demilitarized the Channel Islands (Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, etc.), leaving the islands undefended. The newspaper headline above says, “Island Evacuation, All Children To Be Sent To The Mainland Tomorrow.” Just think what you would do if you had children! About 17,000 Guernsey residents fled the island to England and 25,000 stayed behind. The German occupation was a story of overcoming hardships, of bravery and solidarity, and even betrayal. Watching the “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” film brought back memories of my family in Guernsey and especially my brother-in-law, Vic, who was one of those evacuees!

This photograph of June 20 shows families getting ready to be evacuated in St. Peter Port Guernsey.

This is Vic Richer and his son Steve on our last trip to Guernsey in 2014. Vic did not see his father for 5 years after he and his 5 siblings were evacuated from the island! Vic’s Dad had a metal plate in his head from being hit with German shrapnel during World War 1. Vic remembered  looking up from the garden of his temporary English home one evening in 1944 and saw loads of aircraft towing large gliders on their way to France – these were the actual gliders which landed near Pegasus Bridge to secure it before the Normandy Landings. He saw the start of the D-Day operation above his head before the Germans knew what was coming the next day!

Guernsey evacuees arriving in England.

This was such a dark and tumultuous period! The image above are boys from the Channel Islands in England.

A Nazi band marches on High Street in St. Peter Port during the occupation.

Our family is in the same place over 73 years later! Can you believe this photo was taken on a Sunday evening in the summer! Can’t believe how quiet it was in town! I highly recommend the Island of Guernsey for your future travels!

A similar scene as depicted in the “Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” film.  The movie director and the producers felt it was too difficult to recreate the look and feel of 1940’s Guernsey so they shot scenes in Bideford and Clovelly on England’s Devon Coast. Though I read the islanders were initially a bit upset about a film on Guernsey which was not filmed in Guernsey, almost everyone really enjoyed it. 

German soldiers marching in front of the Royal Hotel (Now gone) on Les Echelons street near the port.

Locals and soldiers shop for food items in St. Peter Port. After 1943 starvation was widespread. Only in December 1944 could the International Red Cross get a food ship to relieve starving islanders. Liberation finally came when an Allied task force arrived on Guernsey in May 1945, and were greeted by crowds of joyous islanders.

The surrender of the German garrisons of the Channel Islands was signed on 9 May 1945 aboard the English destroyer, HMS Bulldog.  Her most notable actions were the capture of a complete Enigma machine and code books from the German submarine U-110 in 1941, and sinking another German submarine in 1944

Jubilant Islanders celebrate Guernsey’s liberation on May 9th, 1945. Click on the link for an old Movietone News of the liberation. My sister donned her hat, as was proper, to welcome the Queen of England in 1975 as shown at the end of the Movietone News.

Vic heads up the steep “Cliff Walk” with Marla and Karen Richer behind, in Jerbourg, Guernsey. We passed an old German gun emplacement.

The Channel Island were amazingly fortified during the war. Slave labor was brought in to build the fortifications from Russia and other countries. Working conditions were beyond horrendous and many workers died!

A plaque honoring the forced laborers who died working in Guernsey. 

Fermain Bay was heavily guarded by the Germans during the occupation. The stone Loophole Tower (Martello Tower) on the right was originally built in 1778 to guard against French invasions.

Marla and I found this monument while hiking near Icart Point. It commemorates the bravery of Lt. Hubert Nicolle who in 1940 landed on Guernsey from a submarine to do reconnaissance. His story reads like an exciting spy novel. Later in the War he was in a POW camp and tunneled to safety. He then survived a plane crash while being transported back to England! Amazing story!

The German Occupation Museum is a fascinating place to really get a feel of Guernsey life under the German occupation.

A sad reminder of those who lost their lives in captivity. 

This plaque commemorates three Jewish women from Guernsey who were deported and eventually died in Auschwitz. The story of complicity by Guernsey officials helping their German captors remains very controversial even to this day.

Photo credit: Dick Gentry, Visit Guernsey, Daily Telegraph, BBC,