discussion Fancy a long holiday?

[Peter Gillson]

Hi all

Just returned home after a committee meeting of the Channel Islands Occupation Society and I thought you may be interested in these stories which are very surprising, but true.

Remember that War was declared in September 1939, which was followed by a winter of little activity - the so called phoney war. Come May, 1940 the Germans invade France.

Throughout this winter and into the Spring of 1940 tourists were visiting the Channel islands for hoidays and at least one family of four were in Jersey at the time the Germans arrived and had to remain there for the full 5 years! Try explaining that to you boss at work!

When I mentioned this story, which was confirmed as true with the comment that there were a few more than 1 family to be stuck in the Islands, another Committee member explained that his father was a cooper in the Isle of Dogs before the War, and in the spring of 1940 had a six month contract with Jersey brewery. You guessed - he was also stuck in Jersey and stayed the full 5 years. On their return to London, they found their home bombed so came back to the Channel Islands, but this time to Guernsey.

Peter

 

[Guest]

Interesting tales Peter. Thanks for posting.

 

[Peter Gillson]

No problem.
I suppose that based on WW1 people never expected the War to reach the Channel Islands, so life continued as normal.
Peter

 

[Jim R]

Hi Peter
Never thought that but I suppose it was inevitable that when the Germans arrived there would be some visitors on the islands. Must have been terrible to realise you were trapped and then to endure the occupation.
Jim

 

[Peter Gillson]

I assume there were probably holiday makers in France and other countries, possibly also Germany.

 

[Steve Jones]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing

 

[Tim Marlow]

Interesting thread. It’s an aspect of war that I had not thought about before. Strikes me that if you were trapped for that long it must have been difficult to make a living? The normal economy would have been severely truncated due to the occupation and holiday cash would run out pretty quickly. I wonder how they coped?

 

[Guest]

I assume there were probably holiday makers in France and other countries, possibly also Germany.

One famous one, at least:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot)

Brown had been selected to take part as an exchange student at the Schule Schloss Salem, located on the banks of Lake Constance, and it was while there in Germany that Brown was woken up with a loud knocking on his door one morning in September 1939. Upon opening the door he was met by a woman with the announcement that "our countries are at war". Soon after, Brown was arrested by the SS. However, after three days' incarceration, they merely escorted Brown in his MG Magnette sports car to the Swiss border

 

[rtfoe]

Very interesting indeed.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Peter Gillson]

Interesting thread. It’s an aspect of war that I had not thought about before. Strikes me that if you were trapped for that long it must have been difficult to make a living? The normal economy would have been severely truncated due to the occupation and holiday cash would run out pretty quickly. I wonder how they coped?

Before the War the economy was largly based on tourism and exporting flowers and tomatoes to the UK - not practical!

The economy got a bit mixed with stuff being exported and imported from France. There was a lot of work because a lot of the young men had gone to the UK to enlist. Unless they had specific skills or trade they could have worked as laborours. My friend's dad, a cooper, carried on making barrels for the whole War.

Peter

 

[Peter Gillson]

One famous one, at least:

https:tongue-out3:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Brown_(pilot)

Interesting. Fortunately for him he was able to leave before the war in the Western Front started in the Spring of 1940.

Peter