The Channel Islands at War - 1 of 3 - Invasion and Occupation (3/3)

The Channel Islands at War - Invasion and Occupation
Episode 1 of 3
Marking the 70th anniversary of the German invasion and occupation of the Channel Islands, Yesterday travels across the Channel to revisit a World War II story often forgotten.

This brand-new and exclusive series, written and presented by Midsomer Murders star John Nettles, is an emotional examination of both the invasion and occupation, as well as the legacy it left behind.

From June 1940, when the Nazis arrived, until May 1945, the inhabitants of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark lived through five years of oppression, terror, collaboration and near starvation that left an indelible scar that's still evident 70 years later.

John's journey takes him to places that still bear witness to the war and to hear stories of courage, outrage and deprivation from those who lived through the horrifying experience.

The occupation of the first and only British territories was seized upon by Hitler as a major coup and, convinced that the British would attempt to recapture them, he ordered an "impregnable fortress" to be built across the Channel Islands. Within this fortress, horrors were routinely witnessed.

Visiting the site of the notorious Lager Sylt concentration camp in Alderney where slave workers -- mainly Russians and Spanish Republicans -- were housed, John discovers that over 6,000 POWs toiled mercilessly. British Intelligence estimates that four out of 10 died during their time in the camp.

Another contentious topic John explores is to what extent Channel Islanders actively helped the Germans. The British Government had already decided that the islands were of no strategic importance and had abandoned the islands to fend for themselves with an instruction to "passively collaborate". After the liberation the Government commissioned an inquiry, the Morrison Report, but it has never been published. After the 50-year ban on publication ended, a further prohibition was imposed. This continuing secrecy has prompted inevitable speculation, which John tries to get to the bottom of and find some answers.

In this deeply personal project, John also looks at how islanders survived as food and fuel supplies dried up, uncovering first-hand stories featuring bravery and courage in the face of extreme conditions.

Above all, John pays tribute to the people of that time -- ordinary people who trod a perilous path through an epic conflict -- and assesses how their lives paved the way for 'the Jersey Way' of today.

Playlist for whole episode: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PL85B0CA2397D26121
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuMoa9P0wHg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLtv7b8vD7k
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-aO3bc-Qpg

Playlist Episode 2 of 3
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PL80B34421F5830ADE

Playlist Episode 3 of 3
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PL9AF38B7004FD9963

Visit my YouTube-channel for more documentaries about the Second World War, First World War and more or visit my website at http://sites.google.com/site/thegermanwarfiles/ for a better organized and easier access to all my YouTube documentaries and their descriptions.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Documentary
• Second
• World
• War
• Germany
• Britain
• Channel
• Island
• Islands
• Jersey
• Guernsey
• Battle
• of
• France
• Invasion
• Occupation
• Collaboration
• Resistance
• Liberation
• Reconstruction
• BBC

[ilovealexjones1]

seriously man you just eat propaganda up dont you...so i guess cuz an organization says "they dont endorse actions taken with in their organization" i guess its always just one or two agents...normally that would be true...but if you follow the issues surrounding the UN which includes ALL types of crimes including child sex rings and smuggling (taking children form the areas they are operating), which go to pretty high levels in the UN.

[ilovealexjones1]

@fdsdh1 the corruption of the UN is from the top down....i mean if the UN was how you say it is then those at the top would hold those at the bottom (the troopers) accountable for their crimes...often times they are not...even those in higher levels of the Un have been caught smuggling child sex slaves around and doing similar things..

you said that "its imposible to controll them all" just one more reason as to why they should not be around since they can not be controlled...

[fdsdh1]

@ilovealexjones1 any crimes committed by soldiers under the UN were not endorsed by the UN. Forces of the UN are made of soldiers from many countries so it is almost impossible to control all them. The UN has a very good track record

[ilovealexjones1]

@fdsdh1 youshould look up the crimes that the "un peacekeepers" are committing in Haiti...recent examples of such abuses that i have been talking about...

here is something else to look up Un peacekeepers roasting children

[fdsdh1]

Team America World Police™ will probably try to ban this video with SOPA :(



[fdsdh1]

@ilovealexjones1 I don't know anything about US, i'm from Jersey

[ilovealexjones1]

@fdsdh1 The UN is a group of unelected "officials" with diplomaic immunity, who infringe on the soverginity of their own country and other countries...tell me does UN law and treaties that the US enter in to over ride the Constitution....because the UN seems to think so...(as well as many "officials" in the US)

[fdsdh1]

@ilovealexjones1 You can't really say the UN is bad as it has done so much good, yes there were mistakes such as what happened in Palestine, but that was simply a continuation of League of Nations policies and Imperialism which failed to consult the concerned parties effectively leading to the 1948 war

[fdsdh1]

@ilovealexjones1 I used Korea because it was the first country where the UN were sent to uphold the sovereignty of a state. Korea is still a flashpoint for issues today so it was a good example. I'm not saying the UN can prevent all wars (although it has probably prevented many) if anything it allows for all diplomatic channels to have been tried before a war (to prevent war happening over miss-understanding e.t.c)

[fdsdh1]

@ilovealexjones1 before the UN there was the League of Nations, but unlike the UN the League of Nations didn't have any powers apart from to bring countries together to negotiate. There was no obligation for countries in the league to follow agreements signed in it e.g. Hitler and Mussolini. The UN can impose sanctions and call for DMZ's the league could do none of this. The UN is effectively like a big parliament where all the different countries represent MP's.