Latest news with #GermanOccupation
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
WW2 plan to liberate Channel Islands sells at auction
A copy of the top secret plan for the liberation of the Channel Islands at the end of World War Two has sold at auction for more than three times its expected 50-page document, codenamed Operation Nestegg, was discovered in a cardboard box in Derbyshire in the Hansons described it as a "piece of history" before it went under the hammer top guide price was £1,200 but the winning bid at the auction in Etwall was £3,800. Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm were under German Occupation from June document spelled out British plans for the liberation of the Channel Islands, including which beaches to land plans were spread across numerous pages, some with lines crossed through, and others with Matt Crowson, from Hansons, told the BBC: "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 World War Two history detailing the freeing of the only Nazi-occupied area of the British Isles."The file was formerly the property of Sub-Lieutenant Walter Page, of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, who was also part of the Normandy invasion.
ITV News
7 days ago
- General
- ITV News
Top-secret WW2 plans to liberate Channel Islands sold at auction for £3,800 after attic discovery
Top-secret WW2 British military plans have been sold at a specialist auction in Derbyshire. The rare 47-page document, detailing an ultimately successful operation to liberate the Channel Islands from German Occupation, fetched £3,800 after a bidding war which saw the lot well surpass its £800-£1,200 estimate. The winning offer was made by an unknown telephone buyer following global interest after the item was discovered buried in a cardboard box in an attic. Dated 1 November 1944 under the codename "Operation Nestegg", the plans go into great detail about how the Channel Islands would be freed from years of Nazi rule. Everything from the number of ships to members of the press and even bicycles was accounted for, as were mine sweeping instructions to approach the islands by sea. Although some documents from the British operation are kept in the National Archive, these plans were uncovered in a private collection and subsequently went under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall near Derby. The auction house has described the lot as "extraordinary and rare". What happened in "Operation Nestegg"? The mission was given the go-ahead on 8 May 1945 as Allied Forces declared Victory in Europe following Germany's unconditional surrender. It 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.
ITV News
11-08-2025
- General
- ITV News
Couple find huge WW2 Nazi bunker hidden underneath their home in Guernsey
A couple have discovered and dug up a WW2 German bunker which was hidden underneath their home in Guernsey. Shaun and Carrie Tullier bought the house in the Torteval area of the island in 2021. Although they were aware it was built on a former gun emplacement, they had no idea about the extent of the structure until a former owner's daughter gave them the tip-off that there may be more to the site's story. Some exploration revealed a door leading deep underground and they were blown away by what was actually there. Over the last couple of years, Shaun has removed many tonnes of soil to uncover the bunker, hiding a dark part of the island's history. Shaun explains: "When we first came down here, there were an awful lot of bottles. I think it had been used for recycling, with people just throwing down their rubbish ... we had to crawl in. "We found some bullet casings and writing on the walls, which was amazing in itself. "I'm trying to preserve the past, otherwise it just gets lost." The bunker winds down 26 feet and reveals two large rooms with a corridor connecting them, as well as what Shaun describes as a "rifle point", where an inhabitant could fire at anyone entering. Above the main entrance, there is German writing which reads "Achtung Feind hort mit!" or translated, "Beware, the Enemy is Listening!". Shaun believes ammunition was kept in the smaller of the two rooms, with beds and a table in the other. The underground labyrinth has everything from escape hatches to original door frames, still intact after years of darkness, now being brought into the light. The discovery has made headlines around the world in the 80th year since the Channel Islands were liberated following five years of German Occupation. Shaun explains: "I've had people texting me from Germany and New Zealand as well. "It is a bit mad but a lot of people are interested." Shaun hopes to repurpose the main underground room into a gaming space with a pool table - and even host his birthday party at the site later this year.
ITV News
04-08-2025
- ITV News
Sark to issue its first official postage stamps with Liberation and wildflowers showcased
Sark will issue its first official postage stamps with designs to commemorate Liberation and wildflowers. The small Channel Island, which is home to around 500 people, will release two sets through Guernsey Post. The first is subject to Royal approval as it shows the Princess Royal during her tour of the Bailiwick in May, marking 80 years since the end of German Occupation. It also details poignant historic images, such as German troops leaving Sark on 17 June 1945 and Dame Sibyl Hathaway posing with members of British Force 135 after Liberation. The second stamp series highlights Sark's rich array of native flora with more than 600 species of wildflowers growing across the island. Several are showcased, including rock sea-lavender and the sand crocus, through photographs taken by local resident Sue Daly. Bridget Yabsley, head of philatelic at Guernsey Post, says: "The commemorative stamps reflect the character and resilience of Sark's community and we are honoured to mark this important time in its history. "Sark boasts spectacular displays of wild flowers and is home to rare species of plants and flowers found in few other places in the world, let alone the British Isles. We expect strong interest in both sets from collectors around the world." The 80th Liberation stamp series will be issued on Wednesday 27 August, with the Wildflower Definitives released a week later on Wednesday 3 September. Both are available to pre-order from a fortnight before their release dates.
BBC News
03-08-2025
- General
- BBC News
'We dug under our home in Guernsey and found a German bunker'
A couple says they have been left gobsmacked after they dug under their house and discovered a Nazi bunker under and Carrie Tullier bought their home in the Torteval area of Guernsey four years ago and knew it had been the site of a World War Two German gun after being tipped off by someone who used to live in the house about a bunker possibly being underneath it, the couple decided to dig up the driveway and eventually managed to unearth the wartime couple said they had plans to turn the bunker into a games room and gym, but were also keen to make sure historic elements remained in place. Germany forces occupied the Channel Islands from 1940 until 1945 and, under Adolf Hitler's orders, turned the the islands into an "impregnable fortress".During the occupation, hundreds of islanders were deported to prisons in Europe and many who remained on the islands nearly occupation lasted until 9 May 1945, when Guernsey and Jersey were liberated. Sark was liberated a day later, while Alderney, where most of the islanders had been forced to leave their homes, could not return until 15 December now celebrate the end of the Nazi occupation with Liberation Day events in Guernsey, Jersey and Sark, along with Homecoming Day in Alderney. Mr Tullier said he and his wife had been told about the site being used as a German gun emplacement, but they had a suspicion there was something else there."From the outside, you could tell it was sitting on top of something," he Tullier added that it was when a previous occupant of the house told them in March 2022 a bunker might be underneath it, he decided it was time to investigate."We've been doing up the house anyway, so I hired a digger and, with the help of a mate, we started digging up the driveway to see what was there," he said."We kept digging down for a while and then finally, the ground just gave way and this doorway appeared." It is believed the bunker's entrance was blocked up in the 1960s and Mr Tullier said he was impressed with how well built the structure bunker consisted of two main rooms measuring 17ft by 10ft (5.18m by 3m) and 17ft by 20ft (5.18, by 6m), with features including a tiled floor, escape hatch and German writing on the the messages on the walls include "achtung feind hort mit" - which translates to "beware, the enemy is listening".The couple also found dozens of tins and other debris which had been left behind inside the bunker. Mr Tullier said one of the main issues which needed sorting out after the bunker was found was pumping water out after it had gathered inside over the decades, but the structure was generally fairly added converting the bunker into a games room - with a snooker table - and gym remained a work in Tullier said the discovery of the bunker had piqued the interest of other people and he felt it was important to keep the German elements said: "It's not just a games room - people come along and ask to see the history."You hear a lot of people say they would just them up these bunkers, but we feel very privileged to have it."I know it was a bad time for Guernsey [during the Nazi occupation], but I do find the history fascinating and I think we need to keep it so we remember what happened."
