Handing back the channel islands

[jerijerod]

Hi guys.
We had a letter come to the IWM which wasn't adressed properly so we had to open and read it to get an idea of who we should pass it on to.

Any way. The letter was enquiring about an action that occured in 1945 with the surrender of the german army units in a channel island to the allies that had been passed to the writer by a German veteran who was there.
Apparently the kommandant paraded his men and told them that the war had been lost and that the allies would soon come for them. He pointed out that the island was royal and that the allies would not invade properly and not bomb the civilians. He would present demands to the Allied representitive on landing.
A british officer soon arrived and the kommandant gave his demands.
1: They were to be taken from the island on a german vessel crewed by German sailors.
2: They were not to be held as POW's in Germany
3: They would be taken directly to Hamburg.

The British officer said he had to take it to Churchill as no one else could give that sort of clearance. The German officer said that he had time.
A week or two later the british came back to accept the demands. A German vessel arrived and the troops marched aboard. They soon discovered that the german crew were all watched by an armed British sailor. The vessel departed and arrived a few days later in Hamburg. After a day sat in port the vessel turned and took the POW's straight to scotland. Churchill had given permission to go to hamburg but the Kommandant hadn't said any thing about disembarking or being held in scotland...

The enquiry on the letter was whether or not this is true? Has anyone else heard this story? I don't think its true but i'd kinda like it to be!
Cheers
Chris

[HeinrichFrey]

Hi Chris,
this story must belong to the world of legends. My grandpa was taken prisoner on Alderney. They surrendered with military ceremony on May 16th, 1945. Then they were shipped to PoW-Camp 177 near Sheffield or Manchester: http://www.389id.de/Personen/Heinrich%2 ... ngenschaft .
As far as I remember (source unknown) Churchill answered "Let them rot" as he was asked for his agreement to invade the Channel Islands.
Regards
Matt

[jerijerod]

Thanks Heinrich,
I thought it was, sounded to humourous to be real! A colleague of mine who is from the islands and studied the occupation said she'd never heard of it either. Still thought i'd check lol
Cheers
Chris

[HeinrichFrey]

Hello Chris,
it would be nice to get contact with Your collegue. I`m especially interested in Alderney occupation from fall 43 till the end in may 45. My grandfather had been there as I still mentioned above.

[jerijerod]

I can pass on any questions you have for her. It was her Undergraduate dissitation so i don't know how indepth she can go but i can pass it on and see

[HeinrichFrey]

Hello ...rod!
Any or some? I`m interested in Alderney occupation history. My grandpa told my, that here were not any civilians left on the island and that they nearly starved cut off from the continent. They built field bunkers near the harbour. And they saw the invasion near not able to fire a weapon. Are there maps with the positions available?

[jerijerod]

Hi Heinrich.
Yeah thats true, the island had been evacuated by the time the Wehrmacht landed. A large amount of fortifications were built and there were alot of Org Tott camps on the island. The Allies did indeed also cut off the supplies to the islands and the Germans found it increasingly hard to get supplies in for the local populous as well as for the garrison although the British did send in/allow Redcross food distribution.

Yeah i have one somewhere i'll dig it out and post it soon.

Cheers
Chris.

[HeinrichFrey]

Cheers Chris,
the regiment of grandpa Heinrich lay above the harbour. They built a kind of field fortifications and trenches. And they prepared for the expected invasion with mine-fields.