A new Channel 4 documentary, Britain Under the Nazis: the Forgotten Occupation (working title), will explore the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II. The program will use first-hand accounts to bring this often-overlooked period of British history to light.
Here’s the Lowdown: In June 1940, Britain abandoned the Channel Islands to Nazi Germany. The documentary uses diaries, memoirs, and letters from both the occupiers and the 69,000 islanders who were left behind, to show the reality of life under Nazi rule. Actors give a voice to these words for the first time.
What This Means Now: This documentary gives a new insight into a controversial and often-forgotten part of British history. It uses primary sources and recent research from leading historians Gilly Carr and Louise Willmot to give new details about the occupation.
The Bigger Picture: The invasion of Guernsey, Jersey, and Alderney was a propaganda victory for Hitler, and he began building work to make the islands a fortress. The documentary shows how what was initially described as a “model occupation” became a nightmare of persecution, antisemitism, deportations, starvation, and slave labor. There was never an official investigation, and the divisions caused by the occupation are still felt.
