Top-secret WW2 plans to free Channel Islands from Nazi rule found in cardboard box in Derbyshire
The 50-page document, dated 1 November 1944, maps out how forces would liberate the Channel Islands from German Occupation during the Second World War - codenamed "Operation Nestegg".
They go into great detail, from the number of ships involved to mine sweeping instructions for the approach by sea.
The mission was given the go-ahead on 8 May 1945 as Allied Forces declared Victory in Europe following Germany's unconditional surrender.
The mission was carried out by a specialist British military group called Force 135, three 700-man battalions which sailed from Plymouth on HMS destroyers Bulldog and Beagle.
They were not sure the message of surrender had been received or accepted in the Channel Islands, so they potentially faced 40,000 German troops stationed behind extensive fortifications, built on Adolf Hitler's instruction to make the Crown Dependencies impenetrable.
However, a day later, German troops officially surrendered in Jersey and Guernsey - marking the end of five years of Occupation.
Sark followed on 10 May 1945 and later Alderney on 16 May, due to the island's extensive defences.
Watch stories of the Channel Islands' liberators, told through the eyes of their children
Thousands of people across the Channel Islands celebrate their Liberation Day each year with reenactments and parades.
While some plans of the successful British operation are kept in the National Archive, this document will be auctioned off in Etwall near Derby on Wednesday 13 August with a guide price of £800 to £1,200.
Hansons Auctioneers' militaria expert, Matt Crowson, says: "It's an incredible story. The document had been part of a dusty box of papers in a UK saleroom, the value of which was considered negligible.
"But on closer examination the vendor came across a piece of WWII history detailing the freeing of the only Nazi occupied area of the British Isles."
Mr Crowson continues: "A document like this really brings home the suffering of the Channel Islanders during the German Occupation, some 2,300 of whom were deported to German prison and internment camps. By the time of the Liberation in 1945, many were close to starvation.
"The essential role played by the men and women involved in Operation Nestegg, and their story of freedom, cannot be underestimated. And the fact that the document came to light in the 80th anniversary year of Liberation Day makes it even more special."
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