Jersey Occupation Facts
During the occupation the locals nicknamed the Germans ‘greenfly’ because of the colour of their uniforms. At first there was only a small number of occupying forces. By December 1940, there were 1,750 Germans on Jersey. Within a year that number had increased to 11,500, one soldier for every four islanders. In comparison to mainland Europe, the ratio of soldiers to civilians in France was one to a hundred. Jersey had the highest ration than anywhere else in occupied Europe.
Over 5,000 foreign workers were brought to Jersey to lay railway tracks, build anti-tank walls, bunkers and excavate tunnels.
The capture of the Channel Islands was a major triumph for Hitler. He was proud to have ‘conquered’ a part of British soil and determined the islands would never be returned. To this end, he issued his Fortification Directive, 20th October 1941, ordering the Channel Islands to be turned into an ‘impregnable fortress’.
The defence of the Channel Islands was an integral part of the Atlantic Wall. This was a solid line of coastal defence, stretching 1,700 miles for the North Cape of Norway to the Pyrenees. It was virtually complete in two and a half years. 10% of all the concrete and iron used on its construction was deployed in the Channel Islands.
28.08.1940 – All meeting of all societies banned
21.01.1941 – Germans prohibited fishing
24.06.1941 – All traffic to be driven on the right-hand side of the road
08.02.1941 – Electricity was not allowed to be used between the hours of 11pm and 7am
08.06.1942 – All wireless sets belonging to the civilian population had to be handed in to the Occupying forces.
05.05.1944 – Cycling two abreast was a punishable offence
German lessons were compulsory for children.
After D-Day there was near starvation for both the locals and occupying forces.
In Jersey there were:
· 59 naval and infantry defence installations
· 28 navy vessels in a permanently positioned fleet
· 16 artillery batteries
· 34 anti-aircraft batteries
· 13 Infantry Strong Points
· 53 Resistance Nests protecting the coastline with 10.5cm coastal defence guns and 4.7cm anti-tank guns.
· 12kn of concrete anti-tank walls
· 1.2kn of anti-tank ditches
· 72km of railway track connecting major development areas with the ports and quarries
· 67,000 mines laid
There were forced labour camps located throughout German Occupied Europed, including the Channel Islands of Aldenrey, Guernsey and Jersey
Jersey Camps
· Brinkforth
· Ehrenbreitstein
· Hindenburg
· Immelmann
· Molders
· Prien
· Richthofen
· Rommel
· Schepke
· Seeckt
· Udet
· Wick
Resistance Nest Richtfeuer
During the German Occupation a gun position known as ‘Resistance Nest Richtfeuer’ was located near where the Tourist Information office is now located. It was designed as part of a last line of defence in the event of an Allied invasion. The steel loophole, originally housed a Czech 4.7cm Pak K36 (t) anti-tank weapon and integral MG 37 (t) machine gun, and was built into the wall of the former JMT bus garage. The site was redeveloped in 2005 – 2007 the wall was subsequently reassembled using original material. 'Channel Islands Occupation Society'.
Jersey War Tunnels
Jersey War Tunnels offers a unique opportunity to explore the underground tunnel complex of Hohlgangsanlage 8 (Ho) which was constructed by forced slave workers during the German Occupation of Jersey. The Underground Hospital was originally built as an artillery repair facility and barracks store. In 1944, fearing an assault on Jersey, it was converted into a Casualty Receiving Station. In the event of an attack, it could have taken up to 500 causalities.
Over 5,000 foreign workers were brought to Jersey to lay railway tracks, build anti-tank walls, bunkers and excavate tunnels.
The capture of the Channel Islands was a major triumph for Hitler. He was proud to have ‘conquered’ a part of British soil and determined the islands would never be returned. To this end, he issued his Fortification Directive, 20th October 1941, ordering the Channel Islands to be turned into an ‘impregnable fortress’.
The defence of the Channel Islands was an integral part of the Atlantic Wall. This was a solid line of coastal defence, stretching 1,700 miles for the North Cape of Norway to the Pyrenees. It was virtually complete in two and a half years. 10% of all the concrete and iron used on its construction was deployed in the Channel Islands.
28.08.1940 – All meeting of all societies banned
21.01.1941 – Germans prohibited fishing
24.06.1941 – All traffic to be driven on the right-hand side of the road
08.02.1941 – Electricity was not allowed to be used between the hours of 11pm and 7am
08.06.1942 – All wireless sets belonging to the civilian population had to be handed in to the Occupying forces.
05.05.1944 – Cycling two abreast was a punishable offence
German lessons were compulsory for children.
After D-Day there was near starvation for both the locals and occupying forces.
In Jersey there were:
· 59 naval and infantry defence installations
· 28 navy vessels in a permanently positioned fleet
· 16 artillery batteries
· 34 anti-aircraft batteries
· 13 Infantry Strong Points
· 53 Resistance Nests protecting the coastline with 10.5cm coastal defence guns and 4.7cm anti-tank guns.
· 12kn of concrete anti-tank walls
· 1.2kn of anti-tank ditches
· 72km of railway track connecting major development areas with the ports and quarries
· 67,000 mines laid
There were forced labour camps located throughout German Occupied Europed, including the Channel Islands of Aldenrey, Guernsey and Jersey
Jersey Camps
· Brinkforth
· Ehrenbreitstein
· Hindenburg
· Immelmann
· Molders
· Prien
· Richthofen
· Rommel
· Schepke
· Seeckt
· Udet
· Wick
Resistance Nest Richtfeuer
During the German Occupation a gun position known as ‘Resistance Nest Richtfeuer’ was located near where the Tourist Information office is now located. It was designed as part of a last line of defence in the event of an Allied invasion. The steel loophole, originally housed a Czech 4.7cm Pak K36 (t) anti-tank weapon and integral MG 37 (t) machine gun, and was built into the wall of the former JMT bus garage. The site was redeveloped in 2005 – 2007 the wall was subsequently reassembled using original material. 'Channel Islands Occupation Society'.
Jersey War Tunnels
Jersey War Tunnels offers a unique opportunity to explore the underground tunnel complex of Hohlgangsanlage 8 (Ho) which was constructed by forced slave workers during the German Occupation of Jersey. The Underground Hospital was originally built as an artillery repair facility and barracks store. In 1944, fearing an assault on Jersey, it was converted into a Casualty Receiving Station. In the event of an attack, it could have taken up to 500 causalities.