My grandmother was a Jersey woman. She married my grandfather, a Cornishman, and came to Canada in the 1920s but the rest of her family lived through the occupation. My great-aunt Eunice (Paisnel, nee Saout) gave some Russian POWs some produce from her farm as they were being marched past and for that she received a visit during which she was threatened by a German officer in her home. In response, without thinking, she pushed him away indignantly, and then immediately thought that she had had the biscuit, but to her surprise and great relief the officer simply left.
@Paddy Bateman Ethnically the Cornwelsh are Brythonic Celts, not Anglo-Saxons. They have more in common genetically with the Bretons (and thus the Channel Islanders) and the Welsh.
The story of Werner Rang, the German medical orderly, presents a fascinating story of former enemies becoming firm friends. Having married Phyllis Baker, they both settled back to life in Sark with its population of only a few hundred people, where Phyllis became a prominent member of Chief Pleas - the island's government. With his medical knowledge Werner set up the island's ambulance service (horse-drawn) and became so respected in Sark that he was eventually elected to be one of the island's Constables. One of the duties of the Constables is to act as the personal bodyguards to the reigning Monarch whenever he/she is on the island. So, we have the picture Gefreiter Werner Rang of the Wehrmacht, a former enemy of the Monarch of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Island, escorting HM Queen Elizabeth II as her personal bodyguard as she is driven around Sark in a horse-drawn carriage. I have little doubt that the strangeness of the situation was not lost on HM. I used to work in Sark covering the local GP when he went on holiday and I met Werner on many occasions. However, the last time I saw him was on a "Liberation Day" parade on Sark which remembers the day that the islands were liberated after WW2. Sark remembers it the day after Guernsey and Jersey as Sark had to wait until the day after them to be liberated! At the parade I could just make him out among all the other members in the contingent of the British Legion of which he, a former sergeant in the enemy forces, was now so respected that he had been elected an Honorary Member!! Talk about beating swords into plowshares!!
@@kennagel8088 Their story was written up in a book by a local author, Richard le Tissier, and I would be surprised if John Nettles and the producers of the programme did not come across it.
There are many similar stories. My great aunt also married a German PoW after the war. He was interned in Scotland, and I believe was put to work on a local farm, where they met. Lovely guy, with a very strange German / Scots accent.
My mother in law was a Land Army girl on a farm in Oxfordshire where she met a German PoW. He had no family left in Germany as they had all been killed in bombing raids by the RAF and USAAF so stayed in England after the war and married his girl from Liverpool. When he retired in 1988 he was the manager of the same farm where he'd been a PoW.
My grandmother from Guernsey told us a story about some Germans that lived next door to her during the occupation. She had a daughter that used to play in the garden and the Germans would always smile and say hello and they loved her smile and laughter. The Germans became concerned when she did appear for days, so knocked on my grandmothers door. She told them that she had passed away. They wanted to pay their respects so they left the guns outside, went to her bedside and they all cried.
A brilliant documentary. And from what I know all absolutely correct. I am Guernsey born in 1962 and have heard a lot about the occupation from people who were actually there. It wasnt that long ago back then.
@@endamcdonald6166 I've not watched the documentary yet, it might be a good documentary, but I was put off looking at the title *"Channel Islands, 1940: When The Nazis Invaded England"* I was thinking, what idiot could have written that title?
Wonderful show. I worked on Jersey for 6 years in the 1980's and this brought back so many happy memories. I once rounded a corner and walked onto a Bergerac set and John Nettles himself was there lol and I celebrated every Liberation Day with the Islanders. It was a lovely place, lovely people, and Bob Le Sueur looks extremely familiar to me! I shall say a prayer for Louisa Gould, an angel on earth. Please God let there be no more wars on our beautiful planet ever. We all, every nationality, have had enough and just want to live in Peace together. 🕊
My mother and her family come from Alderney. My grandmother talks about being evacuated and the disruption it caused and the horror of what was left behind on their return
@@philipsmithers4826 you can go on forever with this Phil,,,,New York, New Hampshire...the French jumping in now with New Orleans...and here are the spanish with New Mexico.
@@peterwhitaker4038 I was brought up there from the age of 7 in 1952 leaving at 15 in 1961, so I know a lot of this history. I mentioned New Jersey because Jersey is such a small Island (9 x 5 imperial miles), and yet it is so famous. Google Jersey cows
@@peterwhitaker4038 I went into the Royal Navy. My biological father came from Montgomery, Alabama. I don't know of any other way to chat , do you? It is just that we are going of the topic.
People are people no matter where you go on the planet. They have loves, spouses, children, homes. It's the ones in charge who tend to muck it all up so we can't all be friends. I have to admit the two that got married after the war made me cry.
I remember Molly coming into our school on liberation day to give us a talk and a first hand account, the stories were fascinating, the history of the islands are so important
After just returning from a jersey holiday I came over this on RU-vid, and must say found it absolutely gripping what a fantastic programme a real credit to its makers. I throughly enjoyed it thank you.
This is one of the most informative documentaries I’ve seen. The same fate happened to another young Jewish lady in the Channel Islands when the family for whom she was a nanny decided to rush back to England. She was not allowed to go and ended up in the same terrible condition as the young lady shown here. I’m sure it was the same scenario repeated hundreds or thousands of times. Such a terribly sad fate.
I wouldn't have allowed my nanny to be left behind and rounded up. I'd have sneaked her out to England and hidden her away. Neither would I have allowed the persecution of the Jewish grocer. The people should have banded together and protected him. There were more of the Jersey people than the stinking Nazi's. They should have kicked tem out, thrown them off the cliffs, anything but allow te=hem to walk in and take over.
So, it says 1 reply. I'd like to read it. There is no reply, but it still says 1 reply. This would be 2 replies, but as it's my 1 reply, thereis only 1 reply now when there should be 2.
@@GottaWannaDance It might have been deleted by whoever posted it, or deleted by YT if they considered it inappropriate. I recently, for the first time ever,had a comment censored by YT and removed......
I’m not gonna lie this is TRULY the Greatest Channel on the WHOLE of RU-vid!!! No other channel comes even remotely close to y’all!!! Keep up the EXCELLENT Work!!!! Edit: I know that the British people have a different outlook/treatment with the Germans. As an American who had many of family members who fought against both the Germans and the Japanese. My PawPaw told me they hated the Japanese because of Pearl Harbor, and the War Crimes the Japanese did to Americans is why they hated the Japanese, but my PawPaw’s life was saved by a German POW that was captured in North Africa where my PawPaw was fighting at. My PawPaw caught Desert Fever, and the German POW that nursed him back to life was a Medic in the German military. My PawPaw also taught me that the all of the German soldier’s were as he called them Gentlemen Warriors, and they believed in the rules of war that most European nations practiced. Don’t get me wrong my PawPaw killed his fair share of the Nazis, and during the war he didn’t like them. Because they were the enemy, but just because he didn’t like them doesn’t mean he hated them.
@@GottaWannaDance- Noun. papaw (plural papaws) (US, dialect, Southern US) Alternative form of pawpaw, a grandfather, especially one's paternal grandfather. (US, dialect, Southern US, less commonly) A father. - Wiktionary
Absolutely correct. When Britain declared war in 1939, Prime Minister Chamberlain's words were "This country is at war with Germany" not "at war with the Nazis." Makes me wonder how much else is wrong in this video.
Brilliant film, when my grandmother passed, my dad was sent to stay with family in Jersey, similarities to the blitz. This is where as a child, he became fascinated with WW2 and then passed that onto me.
What an outstanding video. I'd never heard the story of the people on the channel islands. If we could afford to go there I'd go in a heartbeat. This shows you don't have to be a soldier to be brave !
So sad the brutality and at the same time, sometimes, showing the face of compassion. War is declared by Governments, but the common folks bear the brunt, for better or ill.
My Father was part of the British Liberation Forces that arrived in 1945. Until his final days he used to love telling stories of his time there. He stayed with a couple on Gurnsey, Frank & Norah Gurney.
My Gandmother took me to Guernsey for a holiday in (about) 1968. I thought it was fun, she lost me a few times as I was a bit of a rebel. One day, I bought a small book by John Dalmau called "Slave Worker" about how the Germans forced captives to build the Underground Hospital. Only 24 pages, I read it in a day. God, I wept buckets! Changed my vision of the island - fortunately in the 1980's i took my (then) girlfriend back for a holiday. Like another commentator, I rounded a bend on a hired scooter, and also caused John Nettles and his crew to stop filming for a minute! Very friendly, I guess we could've stopped for a chat, (we did for a few seconds, me apologising profusely) but I didn't want to interrupt their work.
My great grandmother and some of her daughters lived through the occupation of Jersey. I still have letters from them sent to my grandmother in England with swastika "approval" stamp marks on them.
And Russia facing the Soviet onslaught. Especially during the Russian winters when it got as cold as minus 50C. What a great place too be stationed if you were a German soldier. Those in the Channel Islands had it good compared to their counterparts in Russia.
My family, on my mother's side came from Jersey and Guernsey. My grandfather rose from gunner to Brigadier General (now known as Brigadiers). I visited my grandmother's sister in St. Hellier, Jersey and she told me a story about the starvation and my great-grandmother. It was so sad. I visited the underground German hospital.
I just got back from holiday in Jersey. My Great Grandmother had grown up there and went to school under German occupation. Unfortunately she died four years ago but it was interesting to listen to her account of events in the early 1940's
I watched "Another Mother's Son" a few weeks ago, which eventually led me to this video. I did not expect to see the real Louisa Gould's registration card here, at 13:21. May she rest in peace. Thank you for the video.
I wish they had told us. He/she should have been punished - severely. If they didn't know who it was, to begin with, there should have been an investigation to find out.
@@edwardolson8996 I read that some of the collaborations & denouncer's. Had their heads shaved & were also tard & feathered in public. They were also ostracised by the community afterwards. Hopefully this neighbour was among them.
As others below point out, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark are not in or part of England. They never have been, even before 1707 when England existed as a sovereign country. The Channel Islands are Crown Dependencies and are not part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So the title 'Hitler's England' is wrong too.
The title of this documentary is entirely incorrect. The Nazis did not invade England, they invaded Jersey, Jersey is no more part of England than Scotland is. It is a Crown Dependency and is indeed associated with the United Kingdom who are responsible for its defence and relationship with foreign countries etc. but is not part of the United Kingdom. I am amazed that Timeline does not have somebody responsible for checking such outrageous inaccuracies.
90% sure It's a re-upload from a TV channel like most of the stuff on here. Don't know which one though. That's how all the WW2 shows are it only really mentions Britain, US & Soviet Union as the only allies that did anything. Even if it's something that say involved Canada or Australia they'll only say UK or Commonwealth, also they mentioned it's not really part of Britain at the start of the show around 5:50
St Helier is the capital of the Bailiwick of Jersey, the German High Command in the CI was at Elizabeth College, in St Peter Port, Guernsey. Guernsey has a larger bailiwick than Jersey. Guernsey was the central command, Alderney was a prison. There is a lot more to the story than portrayed here.
The Channel Islands aren't 'England', but I understand what he's saying. I'm impressed that he refers to the enemy as 'The Germans'. That's who my father fought.
Indeed. They are the last remnants of the Kingdom of Normandy, which was ruled by William the Conqueror. They have remained a possession of his dynastic line since he was crowned King of England in 1066, right up to the modern day.
I live in Guernsey, and our elderly neighbours still tell first hand stories of the occupation. I really hope all these tales are documented before the last of them pass away.
R I P Bob Le Sueur A good man. I lived on the Island of Jersey for 24 years and loved my time there. Married a local girl and now we are retired and living a great life in Spain.
My dads mum Rita Margison nee Collenette along with my auntie Olive Phillips , auntie Brenda Collenette , uncle Peter Collenette and my great granny Eliza Collenette evacuated to Yorkshire . Where my mums mum Amy Le Huray nee Naftel and my mums dad Arthur Le Huray stayed .I used to hear both sides of their lives . I only wish I had written them down
Great to see John Nettles again,happy memories of Bergerac and more recently Midsummer Murders.Regarding the ill fated Sark Commando raid,John forgot to mention the successful raid of tht Casquets light house island.During a night attack Commando,s surprised the Germans and took them back to England.
Brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed thais video. My father had served int the RAF as a warrant officer and my friends father was in the Luftwaffe stationed in Paris. I have still got John Nettles photograph he sent me with his two dogs that I was going to paint. The two dogs had no intention of looking at the camera and looked left and right while John had a rather big smile. So I couldn't really use the photo.I have been an artist for many years with my paintings hanging on many walls. Shortly they will be exhibited at the Mall Gallery London. I would still love to produce a painting for John. I have always been interested in the second world war so this video was absolutely fascinating. Best wishes John... Ray Eric Phillips
I particularly liked the way how Dame Sibyl Hathaway treated the Germans when they were on Sark. My late mother remembered Dame Sibyl and how she was her heroine. DS used social etiquette and decorum to deal with the Germans. DS had friendships with von Schmettow, von Aufsess (to whom she was related to by the marriage of cousins) and Prince Oettingen who had friends in common with her in Germany. DS was fluent in German, which unnerved a lot of the lower ranked German troops and if they cheesed her off, she would stare down her nose at them and say "Who is your superior?" Mum also told me of a story about the Sarkese who used to give the milk (skimmed!!!) to the Germans and the troops would complained to DS about not being able to make butter from it. DS then turned up dressed in butter-churning dress and proceeded to lecture the Germans on how to make butter. It was printed in all the papers and the Brits got a great giggle out of it. Apparently the Germans were too embarrassed to complain again. Mum had great stories of Britain during WWII. I still have some of her diaries and notebooks where she wrote all of her memories of those times.
I lived on Jersey from 1972 to 1976 before being taken to LA which was unfortunate in retrospect. The only fond memories I have of my childhood were those years on the island!
I like how they're apparently proud of being British, get abandoned, gets occupied, local police round up jews, a bitter neighbour dobs in someone harbouring a fugitive, then as the allies invaded Europe got forgotten about, got mentioned with that mention being followed up with "let them starve"....THEN gets liberated when the war is over as an afterthought. Im gonna mention this story when people harp on about what it means to be British.
Thank you . I have a daughter that has married a German and even if i don’t like him, I can see it’s not racist it’s just personality. A brilliant film.
I did not know about this. You sometimes think that you've read many books on WWII and watched hundreds of videos and then I come across this one. The Jewish girl; that is terrible. She did nothing wrong. I wonder if these islands were actually a part of the UK in 1942, if she would have been allowed to go to London. That war was so terrible. Between the Soviet Union and all of the Europeans as well as the Pacific, upwards of 50 million dead. I must say that I have always admired our friends in Great Britain. Tough. Never complain. They even rationed food into the 1950's just so that Germans could eat. I think that truly shows what a people are all about. Thanks to Mr. Nettles for doing this video. If we refuse to learn about History then we are doomed to repeat it.
UK parliament has the power to legislate for the islands. The Islanders are full British citizens. The UK has the responsibility of defending the islands.
The channel Islanders are a bit touchy about documentaries like this, they were not sure if they were friends or foes during WW2, I believe John Nettles got serious threats because of the documentaries he made about the German occupation.
It's actually one of my favorite creepy movies that drew me to this video. Just finished watching "The Others" for Halloween season. One of my all time favorite movies. But it never dawned on me before to actually look up about the Jersey Channel Islands. Very insightful as to what the citizens of these lands had to go through during occupation
The head of the Gestapo was asked if he needed to torture prisoners to extract information he replied that he only needed to open his mail in the morning to know what was happening on the island. So many collaborators and Jerry Bags! The must sensible thing was to be evacuated. Oh can't forget Jersey Police and Prison Service they should have been tried as war criminals.
I don't know why people always get this wrong, but the Channel Islands are not in England. Neither are Scotland , Wales or Northern Ireland. In fact the Channel Islands aren't even part of the United Kingdom, having their own governance and their own laws, especially when it comes to taxation, which is why so many wealthy people buy property there. They, together with the Isle of Man - between England and Ireland - are Crown Dependencies, that is, they are historically possessions of the British Crown and enjoy its protection, as various blockading French fishing boats discovered recently when they found themselves trying to stare down a British patrol boat. So it's stretching a point to say that the Germans occupied any part of the United Kingdom at all, although they bombed quite a bit of it.
They literally say all that in the video. The title is one that would be synonymous with Germans as occupying the islands was used in their propaganda machine as if to say "look, we have a bit of the British Empire our possession"
Aah, the announcement from the BBC. Lovely. Back in the day when the world trusted the BBC. Even when we went away in early 2000’s , we’d find the BBC for news. Not any more. Sad. Who’d trust them now. Wonderful video, thank you. Those poor innocent women - and all those innocents 🙏🙏🙏🙏👵👵👵🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
All mainstream news these days has bias nobody just reports the facts and leaves the reader to draw a conclusion. Yes this includes both sides and all in-between.
Yup. It's about as British as the Irish Republic. Possibly less, given that England and Ireland used to both be British. I don't think the channel Islands have ever been in the UK. Also, geographically the channel Islands are not located in the British isles. Geographically they're french. Politically they are autonomous... actually one of the talking heads tells us this. So definitely not English. The British government is responsible for foreign policy and defence. Otherwise they make their own way in the world.
History books would try to tell you that the Islanders almost never fraternised with the Germans but it was quite the opposite,who wouldn't want to be with the Victor's of Western Europe,the women loved them and boys wish they could be like them,that's the channel islands for you in 1940.
