Hitler's Fortress Islands (1967) By Carel Toms
 
Designed to accompany "Islands in Danger" by Alan and Mary Wood, this New English Library Edition provides a photo-history of the German occupation of British soil during WWII. Most evidence of the fortifications in Jersey, Guernsey, Sark and Alderney are long gone/closed up, and the Channel Island's role during WWII is mentioned in a single line, if at all, by most historians.

That they played a critical role is highlighted by the rare pictures shown throughout this book. With Hitler issuing OKW commands that the islands be prepared for attack at any time, an entire German division spent the majority of the war occupying the islands without ever fighting. The islands were better fortified than much of France, with precious resources spent building up robust island fortifications - that were never used - rather than fighting and fortifying against D-Day.

At the same time, those islanders who neglected, or opted not, to evacuate in the confusing period when invasion was imminent, attempted to placate their occupiers, silently object in order to survive, while slowly running out of everything, particularly food. Both the Channel natives and the Germans ended up appealing to the Red Cross for help.

What the book omits, and what may not have been available at publication date in 1967, is any reference to now known existing forced labor camps. Although there are pictures of Russian prisoners of war, who helped construct much of the fortifications, there were at least five labor camps on the islands. There was a rumour of a camp at Alderney (where we now know there were four), based upon ship traffic, but the book confirms the existence only of a cemetery after the war.
 
Soft Cover 
160 pages
In Good Condition