Channel Islands

Living under occupation - shortages

I used to go with my two brothers who were 18 months and 3 years older than me, picking up potatoes dropped...

Bombing of St Peter Port Harbour 1940

They softened up the island by bombing the harbour, I think up towards 30 people were killed and they were...

The Bombing of Guernsey Harbour -Jean Budden

I suppose my first memory is actually when the Germans raided the harbour before they occupied us....

Occupation after D-day — Collecting Red Cross Parcels

I really don't know how they organised it, but I do know that we at the Bas Courtils had to walk to...

The Beginning

One was a Manager of a branch of Burtons the Tailors and the other, employed by Reuters, was a member of...

Evacuation: From Walthamstow to Kettering

I was a pupil at Walthamstow High School for girls when the war started, and at the end of August 1939,when...

Evacuees: Guernsey to Cheshire

Rita's parents had moved to Guernsey and they and her elder brother were taken to Germany as slave...

Living with the Germans - Anti-landing poles

The Germans had poles all over the island to prevent any landing craft, and they had wires across these...

Living with the germans - the good...(gift of soup)

One day we were coming through the lanes behind where we lived, by Cambridge Park, near Castle Carey, and...

My Mum was a POW

My mumwas born in Gernsey her father HENRY was from mainland Britain her mother DORIS was an...

School Life Under German Occupation

We lived at the Bas Courtils in St Saviours, but went to school at the Trepied at St Saviours. The other...

LIVING WITH THE GERMANS — The not so good…….

But anyhow, in the Truchot sometimes there was an awful big fat German soldier on duty guarding the...

Living under occupation - bicycle shortage

It was no use to adults or Germans, so I had a fairly new bike for 2 years, it was a green...

Living under occupation - food shortage

They also used to bake for the Germans as well, they had to make so many loaves a day for the Germans...

Living Under Occupation - Entertainment

The only film shows were of German films and the local entertainments always had to provide front seats for...

LIVING WITH THE GERMANS — The not so good……

I always remember being very defiant one particular day, was about 9-ish, and I thought I'm not getting...

The Germans Arrive - Guernsey 1940 Planes Arrive

The Germans landed on the Sunday and the afternoon of that Sunday my cousin Clifford was driving his car...

Evacuation from Guernsey to Bradford

We locked the door, put the key on the windowsill and set off to register at the Parish Hall....

The Germans Arrive - Guernsey 1940. First Impressions

The Germans Arrive - Guernsey 1940. After getting home, we knew then that the Germans were coming, and...

School life under German occupation. Potato flour

I remember the teacher telling us that in order to make the bread, or the flour go much longer, we would...

Should We Evacuate? Stayed to Look After Grandmother

I used to walk up to the Hautes Capelles School, and a certain day came along when I went with my mother,...

Living with the germans - grenade practice

They were on manoeuvres and they wanted some wood for their fires I expect, as they were using hand...

Herm, Guernsey

As I had to work in Guernsey I was only able to visit for holidays and had to obtain a permit from...

Living with the Germans - house search

My grandfather surely would have been, because that was the one terrible thing to keep was a gun, you can...

School life under German occupation. Disruption

Now Amherst School was closed, the Germans occupied Amherst School as it is now, and we were sent to school...

Occupation after D-day — Malnutrition - Grandmother's death

Her 4 sisters in England lived well into their 90s and I am sure Gran would have done so too if she...