Friends Forums

“The British Channel Islands,  
WW2  and the Canadian Red Cross.
The Impact and the Legacy”

Uniquely, the Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles occupied by the enemy during the Second World War. After the German’s lightening advance through Western Europe in the summer of 1940, Guernsey, Jersey and the smaller islands fell into Nazi hands without a fight. Five dark years of occupation followed, during which Islanders had to face and overcome many challenges – none more so than during the war’s final winter of 1944/45. As the Allies effectively placed the German garrison under a state of siege, Islanders entered uncharted territory – how to feed a population without the capacity to produce enough local food.

In this talk, Jersey historian Ian Ronayne will introduce the Channel Islands’ occupation during the Second World War, explain events leading up to the food shortages of winter 1944/45 and examine the unforgettable impact of Canadian Red Cross parcels then and in the present day.