Jersey
under the Swastika!

Page 41 - Philip Frederick Le Sauteur

CHAPTER TWELVE (SECTION 2)

1944

As has been stated already, the prison system in vogue in the Island under the Germans had more than a touch of the comic in it. There was also a touch of the comic in the "offences" which might land a person within the confines of the law. The following is quoted as an instance of how easy the occupation made it for anyone to become a gaol-bird. A young man sat near to a German officer in West's Cinema and, being a music devotee, beat time automatically with is feet — as people so frequenly do in such circumstances. After the show the officer took his Identity Card and told him to be at College House, the Commandant's Headquarters, the following morning. He duly presented himself and, receiving his card, imagined that was an end of the incident. Imagine his surprise when a week or so later, he was again sent for and sentenced to a term of ten days' imprisonment!

Some eighty Allied planes passed very high over Jersey on April 20th, leaving vapour trails, and dropping bundles of metalized fibre, presumably intended to neutralize the radio location stations. For some weeks this strip dropping was a regular feature of the passage of British and U.S. planes.  

German planes were again active on the night of April 23rd, and several of them landed at the airport afterwards. It was confidently hoped by the Islanders that these machines were too badly damaged to reach their own base. One of them dropped a sort of flaming bomb (or it may have been part of the bomb rack with bomb attached), which caused a great crater in a field near St. George's Chapel, St. Ouen's. German planes were also over on the night of the 25th, flying very low, but there must have been Allied aircraft about a well, as seemed to be proved by a liberal distribution of four editions of French leaflets.

All the day after there was heavy bombing along the French Coast, and the guns had a spasm of "hate" during the early afternoon. The big-scale air assault in the vicinity continued until the end of April without respite. More of the metalized strips were dropped, and one heard reports (unconfirmed) that packets of chocolate and cigarettes were dropped.

The curfew was altered to 11.0 p.m. on May 1st. Bad weather no doubt accounted for the lessening of air activity during the early days of this month, but this quiet spell lasted only as long as the bad weather itself, and the regular Thursday artillery practice on the 11th was interrupted several times by the passage of Allied planes overhead. ln the small hours of the morning, however, the garrison had a spate of "paying-back", and from the noise it would have seemed that the invasion — or at least a Commando raid — had actually begun.

There were reports of British E. Boats operating in Grouville Bay, and of planes skimming the water to the south-east, but probably it was only manoeuvres on a grander scale than usual. The Navy were busy, however, on May 8th, when they torpedoed and sank a 900-ton ship between Corbiere and the Minquiers, the only local intimation of anything untoward happening being an «almighty" explosion. It was stated that half of the crew, including many Dutchmen, lost their lives.

The repeated warnings about gas reduction were fulfilled in May, when the four and a half hours' consumption were altered to three hours daily, being now 6.45 a.m. to 7.30 a.m., 11.30 a.m. to 1.0 p.m., and 6.0 p.m. to 6.45 p.m., and in anticipation of the day — rumoured to be not very far distant — when no gas at all would be available, preparations were set afoot for community cooking and feeding.

Just about this time a change was made in the administration of the Islands. Hitherto, each had had its own Feldkommandatur, but these were now grouped under a Platzkommandant. This office was taken over by Major Heider, who for some time had been acting as Colonel Knackfuss's deputy. This man had also been responsible for most of the niggling orders which had been issued.

German planes flying singly, again used the local sky for snooping expeditions to the south-west to England, travelling low and making the night hideous with their engine noises. During the early hours of May 23rd, and following a night of some German activity, there was half an hour of intense light artillery and machine-gun firng, with many star shells being fired off, and it was reported that British light naval forces were operating off the south coast. Certainly, when daylight appeared, there was a barge aground not far from the mouth of the harbour. That same night, watchers from Corbiere saw planes descend on a convoy and though the distance made certainly impossible, it was thought that one of the ships had been sunk.

The electricity supply was again reduced, this time to a basic allowance of 2½ units weekly to a household. It was also officially indicated that no more fuel oil for running the power station would be imported, so that existing stocks would have to suffice until the steam plant, operated by coal, was ready for use. This plant had been erected in St. Peter's Valley by the Germans, and had been handed over to the States.

The question of invasion had been uppermost in the minds of the Islanders for some time. For a while this had been undoubtely wishful thinking, but they still believed that in some way or other the Allied forces had been dealing with the problem. There had been increasing air activity, only the weather being a deterrent, and this air activity to some of the Jerseyites had foretokened something more than mere local "straffing". When June, 1944, came round, however, the inhabitants felt more convinced than ever that something really great was on foot, and on June 6th they surmised that something was really on foot then. On that day, from midnight onwards, an almost continuous stream of planes passed over the Island, and for many hours the heavy A.A. guns were in action, putting up a very intense barrage of fire. So many aircraft were in the sky that it did not seem at all impossible for them to avoid being hit but there was no visual evidence that any of the thousands of rounds fired had found a mark. It seemed to the lslanders that these were the the transport planes landing airborne troops behind the coastal defences, and that the Island was being used as a turning mark.

The following morning the Islanders were faced with feverish activity on the part of the occupying forces. Great defence preparations were in hand everywhere. There were barbed wire barriers across many main roads, heavy guns were being moved into position, ambulances were at the ready, and, of course, every available soldier was on duty.

In spite of the optimistic spirit which had held so many of the population, it was simultaneously difficult to believe that this was indeed the longed-for Invasion, after a wait of four long years, and with the weather itself almost as unsuitable as it possible in the summer months. A strong gusty west wind and low clouds, in addition to a choppy sea, and no morning mist, must have rendered the conditions for landing far from the ideal.

It was rumoured that a proclamation was to be read in the Royal Square, and the people congregated there in cheerful groups, openly discussing the welcome news. Everyone forgot the need for caution, but the Germans were far too busy with their immediate problems to take the wonderful opportunity offered to them for tracing the sources of news dissemination, The proclamation was not read out, but was posted up in the Town Church and the Town Hall, and was in the following terms:

Germany's enemy is on the point of attacking French soil.

I expect the population of Jersey to keep its head, to remain calm, and to refrain from any acts of sabotage, and from hostile acts against the German Forces, even should the fighting spread to Jersey.

At the first sign of unrest or trouble, I will close the streets to every traffic and will secure hostages.

Attacks against the German Forces will be punished by death.

Der Kommandant de Festung Jersey.
(Signed): HEINE. Oberst.

The Telephone Exchange, Fire Brigade and civil Ambulances were taken over by the Military, and O.T. guards were posted at the gas works and power station, the men working there being kept on the job until the O.T. officer-in-charge received permission for shifts to be carried on as usual. The strength of the garrison, incidentally, was believed to be, at this time, just over 4,000.

After almost continuous flak against passing aircraft up til 9.30 a.m. on "D" day, comparative quiet prevailed. There were still some planes about, mostly out of sight, and some distant bombing, but no more definite reminder that the long-awaited day had arrived. During the night, a more than usually annoying flak position at Maufant was shot up, and several of the soldiers were believed to have been killed. Four of the dozen or so barges which had lain unused in the harbour for several months were emptied out and prepared for scuttling, presumably in the pier heads. German reports, through the venue of the B.B.C. of Allied landings in the Islands were, at least as far as Jersey was concerned, incorrect.

The following days continued to be quiet, with a slight improvement in the weather conditions. The German nurses seemed to be spending their time going to and from tbe pier, but apparently there were no ships available to take them away — indeed, they were still in the Island when the siege became absolute. Except for those on guard, with rifles at the ready and hand-grenades slung around their necks, and those going around in horse waggons on their various errands (also complete with rifles and full equipment), no German soldiers were to be seen in town. The place was rather more than usually crowded, however, with men and women who worked for the Germans — except those engaged in catering, everyone working for them had been sent home.

Electricity supplies continued to give concern to the Germans, and officially in order to conserve fuel for generating current, the curfew was cut to 10 p.m., and all cinemas, theatres, dances and other forms of public entertainement were banned.

Several ships arrived on the night of the 7th, but numerous guards posted at the approaches to the area of the harbour prevented one from getting any idea of what was in progress there. To the surprise of everyone, the usual Thursday artillery practice was carried out, including a shoot from the not-yet-completed fortification on the site of the old Gorey Pier station.

At 6.0 a.m. on the 10th June, three minesweepers were attacked by cannon fire in St. Aubin's Bay by several planes, they attacking through concentrated flak. Smoke was seen coming from the foc'sle of the foremost ship, but the fire was out before she reached harbour. This attack, and another on a radio station at St. Ouen's, which caused some casualties, were confirmed by later B.B.C. reports. That night and the following forenoon a continuous stream of aircraft passed over in very poor flying conditions, and without being harassed by the A.A. guns. On the morning of the 12th, however, the flak batteries had a busy few minutes against planes which attacked some ships in the bay and a gun position on Elizabeth Castle. The ships were missed, as far as could be seen, but a hit was scored on or near the Castle — the damage itself could not be ascertained. The blast shattered several windows along the Esplanade, but there were no casualties.

Bombing along the neighbourhood French coast continued almost without cessation, including a period of twenty minutes when a target to the south of the Island had a particularly concentrated raid which literally shook every building.

All the beaches except those in the vicinity of Havre des Pas were closed, the reason given being danger from artillery and rifle practices.