Jersey
under the Swastika!

Page 16 - Philip Frederick Le Sauteur

CHAPTER FIVE (SECTION 2)

Labour Problems

And they took the justice meted out to them at its face value, ignoring the fact that its real value was as propaganda, and that, anyway, it cost the Germans nothing but a few words. They forgot that, when the complaint was against the Germans, the treatment meted out was not so generous, as instanced in the case of the NORMAND, and in several cases when, after being knocked down and injured, people were fined for obstruction, as well as the many occasions when harsh sentences were imposed for very minor offences.

During July of this year, a large number of foreign labourers passed through the Island en route to work in Alderney, and almost all of the empty houses in Jersey were commandeered for the billeting of the greatly increased number of troops.

An advertisement appeared in the press on August 9th asking for 200 men to work at the airport. Hitherto, the Germans had ordered the States, who in turn passed on the jobs to local contractors. Now, however, it had been discovered that under the Hague Convention, men could not be forced to undertake work of a military character, and the contractors had ceased work, even though it meant losing the equipment on the job. A little later the States displayed posters calling the attention of workmen to the provisions of the Hague Convention; but, tempted by the superior wages, danger money, and, above all, the extra rations, many men did work direct for the Germans on jobs of a military character.

Towards the end of the year 1941, many thousands of labourers of all nationalities were arriving, being billeted at Fort Regent, West Park Pavilion, the Girl's College, and in barracks at La Moye and Grouville. French, Belgian, Dutch, Spanish and Arabs were all herded together, living under distressing conditions and on very small food rations. The Spaniards were reported to be Nationalists who had only been released from internment camps in France, where they had been kept ever since the Franco victory, on undertaking to work for the Germans, and, as a result of their long internment, their clothing was in rags, and they looked completely unfit for work, especially in view of the proximity of the winter. They were actually well paid in "ersatz" German money, but being absolutely unable to purchase food or clothing — both being strictly rationed — they were worse-off than many a beggar. Any attempt to assist them by giving hot drinks or soup was very quickly stopped by the Germans. In conversation with local people, many of these men averred that they had been brought to Jersey under false pretences, having been told that there was no work in Granville, and having been shipped further on to Jersey. It was pitiable to see the ill-clad men scratching in any piece of ground near their work for the odd small potatoes overlooked from the 1941 digging, and eating them raw, as well as looking for edible weeds. It was reported that several of the men died through mistakingly eating some poisonous weed, but it was not possible to secure confirmation of this.

This cosmopolitan crowd of labourers were working under the khaki-clad Org Todt, nominally a non-military organization, though the only difference perceptible was that they "Heiled" instead of using the military salute. This body was responsible for all the defensive works for the German forces, and seemed to comprise almost solely of men over military age or unfit for military service. They were not noted for their kindly treatment of the labourers who, in most instances, seemed to be regarded merely as beasts of burden.

During the early months of 1942, and when the problem of invasion seemed to be troubling the Military Authorities, an anti-invasion order prohibited sleeping out-of-doors or under canvas, whilst it was interesting to observe that the Org Todt, hitherto a non-military body, were being given intensive fighting training, and even civilian Germans working in hotels, etc., were being given a course — possibly the training being intended to check any insurrection amongst the cosmopolitan crowd of labourers in the event of a British landing, when the Wermacht would be fully occupied. It was rather pathetic to see the men, many of them bearded and suffering from various infirmities, marching to the drill grounds, even imitating the army with their songs.

Org Todt labourers had hitherto been recruited solely from the French, Dutch and Belgian workers, and from Spaniards released from internment camps. About the middle of August this year (1942), however, the first batch of Russian refugees arrived, brought from the burn-out villages of the Ukraine. Many of them little more than children, they were in a pitiable state — ill-clad, many without foot covering except pieces of sacking, and appearing badly underfed, they were marched to camps at La Moye by 0. T. guards armed with whips and truncheons. Their condition excited the pity of many people along the route, which many offered, though none really could afford.

Labour problems still continued to occupy the Germans' close attention, and during the middle of August (1943) the Military Authorities demanded the services of 150 men for work of a non-military character — probably in the Island itself, or in one of the other Islands. Having gathered in the required number, they formed the first group taken for six months' work in Alderney, where they were put on the job of reconditioning the abandoned houses, for ultimate German occupation.

The Germans, ever eager to encroach on the civilian population, had always shown interest — perhaps a very greedy interest — in the number of employees at several of the larger establishments, and the number of hours they worked. Now a German officer spent some time in visiting each firm's premises individually. Subsequently, the services of certain employees regarded by the Germans as superfluous to their requirements were requisitioned for other duties.

During 1944, and acting on the orders of the occupying forces, the local police became active in finding particulars of a number of young ladies who had learned typing at school in recent years, presumably with the object of conscripting them for German work. Singularly enough, when the information was obtained, not another word was heard about the matter. Were other and more pressing problems diverting their attention from such a mundane affair as the enlistment of a few typist? One can never tell. Or was it merely to keep he girls in a sort of keep-on-your-toes fear?