CHAPTER TWO (SECTION 1) The Early Days of the Occupation The local evening newspaper, the EVENING POST, was permitted to function, but a German censor as well as German staff were installed. There was thus no real freedom for the paper itself, being controlled throughout. Probably the majority of the inhabitants were not surprised at this. The only local news allowed to be published was that which had no bearing on the existing state of affairs, so that the paper consisted of the terse official German communiques, official orders (if any), and padding in the form of extracts from various old magazines and books. Concurrently with the censorship, a special German edition printed in German, the DEUTSCHE INZELZEITUNG was issued each evening for the occupying forces. On July 8th of the first year of occupation, a further set of orders was issued, in the following terms: 1. The German Commandant is in close touch with the Civil Authorities and acknowledges their loyal co-operation. 2. The Civil Government and the Courts of the Island will continue to function as heretofore, save that all laws, ordinances, regulations and orders be submitted to the German Commandant before being enacted. 3. Such legislation as, in the past, required the sanction of His Britannic Majesty in Council for its validity, shall henceforth be valid on being sanctioned by the Bailiff of Jersey. 4. The orders of the German Commandant heretofore, now and hereafter issued shall, in due course, be registered in the records of the Island of Jersey, in order that no person may plead ignorance thereof. Offences against the same, save those punishable under German Military Law, shall be punishable by the Civil Courts, who shall enact suitable penalties in respect of such offences, with the approval of the German Commandant. 5. Assemblies in churches and chapels for the purpose of Divine Worship are permitted. Prayers for the British Royal Family and for the welfare of the British Empire may be said. Church bells may be rung for ten minutes before service. Such assemblies shall not be made the medium for any propaganda or utterances against the honour of, or offensive to, the German Government or Forces. 6. Cinemas, concerts and other entertainments are permitted subject to the conditions set out in Order No.5 above. 7. Prices must not be increased or decreased. Any shopkeeper offending against this order is liable to have his shop closed and also to pay any fine that may be imposed by the competent authority. 8. The sale and consumption of wines, beer and cider is permitted in such premises as are licensed by the Civil Authorities. 9. Holders of licences for the sale of such intoxicating liquors (wines, beer or cider) shall take the most rigid precautions for the prevention of drunkenness. If drunkenness takes place on such licensed premises, then without prejudice to any other civil penalty, the Island Police shall and are hereby empowered to close the premises. 10. All traffic between Jersey and Guernsey is prohibited, whether direct or indirect, for the time being. 11. The rate of exchange between the Reichmark and the pound has been fixed at 8 Marks to the pound. 12. The continuance of the privileges granted to the civil population is dependent on their good behaviour. Military necessity, however, from time to time, require orders now in force to be more stringent. Gussek, Hauptmann, Commandant, Jersey. Some 150 servicemen were in Jersey on leave at the time of the occupation, and, after reporting to the Commandant, were allowed to be free on parole. After a few days however , they were interned at a local holiday camp which, prior to the occupation had been used for the internment of enemy aliens. During this time, a great number of German planes were coming and going all day; in fact, nearly all the men and supplies were being transported in Junkers troop-carrying planes. At the beginning people used to rush out every time they heard a plane, in the hope of getting a glimpse of the R.A.F. as they passed, but after a few days of seeing only the black cross they took very little notice. The German airmen, however, seemed to deem it necessary to attract attention to themselves, the Me 109's doing hair-raising acrobatics at a very low level over the town, zooming down streets and doing close turns around the church steeples. The troop carriers, being less manoeuvrable than the others, did their stuff by flying so low that it did not seem possible for them to avoid crashing into the roofs of houses. Other planes heard very high up at intervals were reckoned to be the R.A.F. A.R.P. services were kept going by German orders, and it is surprising that they were not needed, in view of the dangers created by the German airmen themselves. A certain number of cars of the larger type, as well as motor cycles, requisitioned for military use, some of these being shipped to France in the river barges which bad been brought into use between the Islands and the mainland. Also being taken to France was the balance of the potato crop (extra to local needs) which had not been previously shipped to England. Some cycles were also requisitioned, but this was against the orders of the Commandant, and they were speedily returned to their owners. German films, with misspelt English captions, were being shown at the cinemas, and including, of course, German propaganda news with English commentary. A small section of the civil population made its disapproval heard on one or two occasions, and this resulted in strongly critical remarks from the Commandant. Other subjects on which he had comments to make were jay-walking and cycling. The Germans, he said, drove with discipline, and the civil population must follow suit. The disapproval of road manners, however, was mutual, for their "disciplined" methods included the ignoring of one way signs, driving on the right side of the road, and putting in the shade all ordinary "road hogs" in the matter of speed. Now for a word or two about the vexed question of billeting. The billeting of soldiers in time of war presents a major problem to those who are in authority, the intensity of the problem varying with the circumstances peculiar to the moment. The problem is more personally insistent with those who are to be sufferers in the deprivation of either complete home or partial accommodation. The decision of the Authorities not to defend the Islands brought these various phases of billeting very suddenly to the Islanders who, probably in the main, had not envisaged having their Homeland occupied by a foreign power. It was not very long after the end of the so-called "Phoney War" period that the problem assumed acute reality and well was it for Jersey that it could boast of many buildings which it normally used for the temporary housing of visitors.