Evacuation of civilians from the Channel Islands in 1940
[1] The occupants of the Channel Islands became involved in European events of 1938–39 only as distant and worried listeners to the radio and readers of newspapers.
When it became clear that the Battle of France was lost, time was limited for anyone to evacuate, even so 25,000 people went to Great Britain, roughly 17,000 from Guernsey,[2] 6,000 from Jersey and 2,000 from Alderney in the ten days before the German troops landed at the end of June 1940.
The National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939 passed on 3 September 1939 enforced full conscription on all males between 18 and 41, however it only applied to the United Kingdom and had no effect in the independent Channel Islands.
[3]: 217 By mid May 1940 the news was not good; Germans were fighting in France and individuals as well as whole families were making plans and taking the ferry to England.
By the beginning of June, the evacuation of Dunkirk was the main topic of conversation, resulting in more people considering leaving the Channel Islands.
[6]: 41 In Jersey, where the school children were on two weeks holiday to help with the potato harvest, everyone who wished to leave was asked to register.
[10]: 81 The civil service could not cope and scared of potential riots with desperate people trying to get on ships, announced that it was best to stay in the island with the result that only about 1,000 Jersey children were evacuated with their parents and 67 teachers.
As soon as the majority of the first wave had departed, ships were made available for anyone else who wished to depart, however with the fear of ships being mobbed, riots amongst travellers and in the empty towns, with looting of empty houses and shops, as had happened in France on the Channel coast, the authorities pushed the message that 'staying was best', with posters saying "Don’t be yellow, stay at home",[11]: 12 (the "patriot" responsible for this poster fled to England).
The reasons why people stayed or evacuated were personal, ranging from fear of the unknown to noble thoughts of continuing the fight with Great Britain.
Some certainly did, however it came as a surprise to find out later that others had decided not to leave or who were barred from entering the United Kingdom, because they were "aliens", resulted in around 20 people the Germans would define as "Jewish" becoming trapped in the islands.
Ships urgently needed to evacuate soldiers from France in Operation Aerial, were diverted to help civilians in the Channel Islands.
[6]: 47 Eighteen ships sailed on 21 June from Jersey including the SS Shepperton Ferry carrying military stores and 400 evacuees.
[13]: 140 Several ships including the Southern Railway SS Isle of Sark, the normal cross channel ferry, were docked in St Peter Port harbour on 28 June when the Luftwaffe arrived and six Heinkel He 111 bombers attacked Guernsey.
[19] 319 people evacuated the islands on five civilian de Havilland Express DH-86 aircraft, between 16 and 19 June, landing in Exeter.
[2] Some reception centres run by The Salvation Army and WVS helpers were surprised to discover that Channel Islanders could speak English, having arranged for translators to be available, islanders answering questions put to them in French with their own local Patois which the translators could not understand.
[22]: 143 Stockport received at least 1,500 refugees and would years later erect a blue plaque to commemorate the event,[2] others went to Bury, Oldham, Wigan, Halifax, Manchester, Glasgow and many other towns.
[2] If children or families had relatives in the UK, they tended to drift, with their single suitcase of belongings to them, to seek assistance.
[23] Islanders were not shy in volunteering for Air Raid Precautions (ARP), Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS), Home Guard or Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) duties in their spare time.
They were very generous, helping with clothes and shoes, arranging picnics, providing free tickets to cinemas and football matches, lending furniture and donating money for Christmas presents for children.
[citation needed] There are stories of extorting child labour, stealing the rations of the children, beatings, etc., but they were in the minority, and most were rescued by inspectors.
The psychological damage changed many evacuees, especially children and particularly those deprived of their parents, teachers, siblings and friends for five years.
In 1941, negotiations allowed the International Red Cross message system, which was designed primarily for use by captured soldiers, to include civilians in the Channel Islands.
[27] Over 90 local "Channel Island Societies" were established in England, with weekly meetings and arranged social events, including card games and dances.
They decided to publish the Channel Island Monthly Review, despite a ban on new periodicals in August 1940 because of paper shortages.
[29] It did not close, and the 20-24 page Review was published with up to 5,000 copies a month posted out to subscribers, including servicepeople all over the world.
Following the Deportations from the German-occupied Channel Islands in September 1942, the December edition of the Review published lists of the deportees and their contact details so that Red Cross messages could be sent to them.
[31] Philippe William Luce founded the Vancouver Society for the 500 Channel Islanders who lived in the area, who collected many thousands of dollars and hundreds of crates of clothing and shoes to send to Great Britain.
[34] The BBC also produced a film of the evacuees showing a rally on 19 June 1943 in the Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester that was attended by 6,000 islanders.
[35]: 294 A higher percentage of serving people from the islands had died per head of prewar population than in the United Kingdom.
[1] Some children and families kept contact, and many held fond memories and grateful thanks for the northern people who showed so much kindness.
