Key dates about ‘The Occupation of Jersey’

-June 30th 1940 was when Jersey was invaded by the Germans and on this day they sent an airforce of bombers over the islands and bombed jersey harbours.

-May 7th 1945 was when the German army surrendered and the end of the war in Europe was announced.

May 8th 1945 was when the units that made up Force 135 received their orders to move to their marshalling camps in Portsmouth. The main body was meant to arrive on the 12th of May.

-June 6th 2019 is the 74th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the start of the liberation of Europe from Nazi Occupation.

-May 30th 2020 is the 25th anniversary of Liberation of Jersey from Nazi Occupation.

Key facts about ‘The Occupation of Jersey’

• The German’s prohibited the use of radios which lead to a lack of communication between the island and the mainland.
• The island was also moved to Central European time. In the months following D-Day, as the Allies regained control of France, the source of supplies fueling the islands was now no longer available.
• The Nazi’s put many restrictions on islanders (curfews, rations, not allowed to drive private motor vehicles) they also did not allow anyone enter or leave the island which lead to food shortages.
•  Food shortages on Jersey were finally relieved by the arrival of the Red Cross ship SS Vega, bringing food parcels to Jersey. Before then, substitutes had been used to replace everyday foods, with seawater replacing salt, for instance, and a mixture of parsnip and sugar beet replacing tea.
• Hitler ordered the conversion of Jersey into an impregnable fortress. Thousands of slave workers from countries like Russia, Spain, France, Poland, and Algeria built hundreds of bunkers, anti-tank walls, railway systems, as well as many tunnel complexes.
  • The fortresses are mainly located around the coasts of the island in order to prevent unauthorised access in/out of the island.
  • The remains of theses fortresses can still be found on the island, which showcases the historical factors of the island.
• The religion of Judaism was not accepted by Hitler/Nazis which lead to people within the religion being sent to concentration camps where they were treated poorly and sadly the nazis slowly killed them off.