More than 1,000 people died during the Nazi occupation of Alderney during the Second World War, but the island was not a “mini-Auschwitz”, according to a new report.
A review by a panel of international experts has provided shocking insight into the exact number of prisoners and workers who died on German-occupied Channel Island between 1941 and 1945.
The panel found that between 641 and 1,027 people, including Jews, prisoners of war and some Roma, died as a result of ill-treatment on the island, after previous figures suggested there had only been 389 deaths.
But although workers were subjected to appalling conditions and executions, the site did not constitute a “mini-Auschwitz”, the report added.
The review was commissioned last year by Lord Eric Pickles, the UK’s special envoy for post-Holocaust issues, with the aim of dispelling conspiracy theories and misinformation about the island.
More than 1,000 people died during the Nazi occupation of the islands during World War II. Pictured: German officers pose outside Lloyds Bank in St Annes, Alderney.
Captives made up of Jews, prisoners of war and some Roma, who were transported to Alderney to build fortifications as part of the German war effort. Pictured: German troops march down Alderney’s main street during the occupation.
The remains of Battery Annes in Alderney, which was formerly an open naval gun battery position that formed part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall defense against Allied invasion.
The Alderney Expert Review Panel estimated that the minimum number of prisoners or workers sent to Alderney during the German occupation was between 7,608 and 7,812 people.
Workers were transported there from countries across Europe to build fortifications as part of the German war effort.
They were housed in camps that shared many similarities with those in continental Europe, and the workers were subjected to atrocious living and working conditions and executions.
The investigation was initiated to dispel conspiracy theories and provide the most accurate number of those who lost their lives on the island.
The report also aims to bring justice to those who died and ensure that this period of history and the Holocaust are “fully and accurately remembered.”
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said: ‘The conclusions of the review are an important and welcome development. It is vital to have an authoritative account of this harrowing element of the island’s history.
‘It allows us to accurately remember the people who suffered and died so tragically on British soil. Bookmarking relevant sites will now be an appropriate step to ensure this information is widely available.’
The panel also investigated why the German perpetrators were not tried by Britain for war crimes committed in Alderney and concluded that an investigation carried out in Alderney immediately after the war had “an entirely serious intention”.
But since most of the victims were Soviet citizens, the case was handed over to the Russians. And in exchange, the Germans who murdered British soldiers in Stalag Luft III during the “Great Evasion” were handed over to Britain.
The broken remains of the Sylt concentration camp in Alderney, which was destroyed by fleeing Nazis in 1945.
People visit a German bunker on the island of Alderney, Guernsey, where thousands of workers were killed during the Second World War.
A model of a German officer is displayed inside the Odeon, a 15 meter high concrete naval tower built by forced laborers in Alderney.
A plaque on the island of Alderney reads “In memory of all the foreign workers who died in Alderney between the years 1940 and 1945. They also served.”
The report says that the Soviet Union did not follow up on the Alderney case and was therefore responsible for not bringing the perpetrators to justice, causing much anger among members of the British government.
A spokesperson for Alderney Estates today welcomed work to establish the most accurate information possible, based on extensive testing and rigorous analysis.
‘While the events that took place in Alderney do not compare in scale to those in other parts of Europe, it is a heartbreaking part of the island’s history that its community continues to remember and commemorate. In fact, today’s post comes just days after the Island’s annual service at its dedicated monument. ‘
Chairman of the States of Alderney, William Tate, said: “On behalf of the States of Alderney and our community, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Lord Pickles and the Review Panel for their dedication to resolving an important issue. which has been the subject of much debate for many years.
‘The report makes clear the terrible conditions that people who had been brought to the island had to endure and how cheap their lives were for the occupying forces.
‘The brave islanders who returned home in 1945, after having been evacuated in 1940, saw first-hand the devastation that had occurred on their island home.
“As a community, we will never forget the suffering these poor souls endured and the tragic loss of life as a result of the callous and inhumane behavior of the occupying forces.”
Dr Carr, Associate Professor of Archeology at the Cambridge Institute of Further Education and Fellow of St Catharine’s College, who coordinated the panel, said: “I am proud of the way the team of experts came together to provide answers to the questions. questions posed. by Lord Pickles.
“This shows what can be achieved when you bring together the right people, with the right experience and knowledge, to commit to working in memory of those who suffered in Alderney during the occupation.”