Jersey
under the Swastika!

Page 22 - Philip Frederick Le Sauteur

CHAPTER SEVEN (SECTION 3)

Feeding the Islanders

Unfortunately, many of the local farmers took full advantage of the food impasse in order to make as much money as possible, and they did not hesitate to supply butter and eggs to the German troops when more money could be made that way, even though avoiding their securing the goods was the only justification for black market at all. Patriotism seemed to have flown to the winds where many were concerned, the patriotism which seeks the welfare of one's fellow countryman.

News also came through that nearly the entire Guernsey police force was under arrest for systematic robbery of the German food stores. When it became known a little later on that these public servants had been regularly robbing the civilian stocks, the sympathy which had been generally expressed for them faded away. The men were tried by German Court Martial, and sentenced to considerable terms of imprisonment before being brought before a civil court to receive further sentences.

The Germans continued to make frequent arrests in Jersey, mostly for black market offences. No publicity, however, was given to the cases, so that it is not possible to give authentic details.

One case concerned the sale to O.T. foreign workers of cooked potatoes at an exorbitant price. These particular workers, as mentioned elsewhere, were poorly treated in the matter of food, and were only too anxious to spend their big wages on anything to eat. Whether as a result of this case or not, there seemed to be some improvement in their feeding arrangements after this incident, and a considerable difference was quickly apparent in the appearance of the men generally.

There seems no doubt, however, that if it had been possible to punish every infraction of the myriads of German decrees, very few of the population remaining in the Islands would have escaped serving a term in goal, and even though so few, comparatively speaking, were caught, the prison was kept fuller that it had ever been.

A case of neglect of crops — deemed by the Germans to be sabotage — was given publicity. The act resulted in a fine of 1.000 Marks.

Towards the middle of the year there was some improvement in the food position, the potato ration being increased to ten pounds for about two months, whilst an ample supply of other vegetables was available. There was also an increased distribution of milk, and, thanks to the generosity of the French Secours National, a one-pound ration of sweet biscuits was issued gratis to the children.

The general health of the population was better than  might have been expected, considering the lack of so many things hitherto regarded by everybody as essential. There was, naturally, a general loss of weight. Losses of up to seven stones in the cases of some stout people were known, whilst four — to five — stone losses were by no means uncommon. Invalids suffered rather badly, as might be expected, as they were often unable to secure the necessary medical requirements and suitable food. The children seemed to be more easily adaptable to the changed conditions of living, and generally maintained their growth and health. There had been some outbreaks of diphtheria and other diseases, but fortunately these had not attained serious proportions up to this time.

The Christmas season of this year 1942 was not so well placed for "extras" as that for the previous year, meager though the then-ration had been. A few sweets and a small ration of cocoa for the children, ½ lb. of chocolate for the adults, a small quantity of coffee substitute, a double portion of oat flour, an extra 4 ozs. of sugar, and a small portion of cheese all around, represented the full extent of the official belief in Christmas being a period of over-eating! Following a period of several weeks without any tobacco at all, supplies arrived in time for a ration of 50 cigarettes and two ounces of tobacco to be issued to male adults.

The black market is the almost inevitable outcome of shortages, no matter in what direction, and if Jersey's record herein was bad enough, accounts reaching us from the Guernsey press indicated that its ramifications were even more insidious there. For some reason it was only now (early 1943) that it was an offence for foodstuffs to be sold by public auction in that Island, and the figures given for the last sale are significant:

Tea — £7-7-6 per ½ Lb.
Bisto — 23/- for 9½d. size.
Salmon — 28/- per tin.
Oxtail Soup — 7/ 6 per tin.
Bird's Custard — 42/6 for small size.
Peaches — 34/- for 1/- tin.
Peterkin Peas — 5/- a tin.
Crab — 12/- for ½ size tin.
Tapioca — 16/- per ½ lb.
Candles — 31/- per packet.
Egg (one) — 8/-.

These figures give some idea of the alteration in the relative values of money against essentials in the food line.

At this time there were several breaks in the publication of the EVENING POST through shortage of the necessary materials. During a period between these lapses, German propaganda fell down rather badly by drawing attention to the fact that people were to be seen in the London tubes sharing newspapers owing to the shortage there. There were other instances of this sort of short-sightedness, including a reference to the fact that tobacco was so short in England that tobacconists had reduced their hours of opening — telling Jersey people, whose very meager ration was often not forthcoming at all for weeks at a stretch!

Looking over the long weary months of the occupation until now (early 1943), it had come as a matter of surprise to realise how nearly self-supporting the Island had become. The 1942 wheat harvest, the first serious attempt to supply the Island's needs, produced about 2,800 tons, against the requirements on rations of some 3,600 tons. This was a surprisingly small deficit in an Island still populated at the rate of nearly 1 ,000 to the square mile.

Pilfering was a constantly sore problem in the Island, and this covered almost every conceivable item. The Authorities were constantly on the alert, endeavouring to discover those responsible for the depredations, and one was always hearing of people being accosted in the streets and questioned as to where they had secured the petrol for their lighters. The Germans certainly would have been much better advised to enquire from the local transport drivers, most of whom were running to a great extent on petrol "'won" from the Germans themselves. Another heavy leakage to which the Germans never seemed to get wise was that of cement, of which many hundreds of tons helped to keep the local building trade going. They also lost many tons of coal and vast quantities of foodstuffs, all of which assisted the civilian population along considerably. On all hands it appeared that no-one had any conscience at all about goods being obtained in this, certainly irregular manner!

There was no meat ration for the last two weeks of March of this year, a tin of tunny fish and two ounces of cheese being the "in lieu" rations.

During a scuffle with a farmer and his son when attempting to break into their farm, two Russians were killed, another badly injured, whilst a fourth happened to escape. German press comment was:

What would Mr. Churchill say if he learned that the Jersey people do not wish to have anything to do with the Russians, and Stalin, when it comes to his ears that his compatriots are killed as thieves and burglars by Jersey farmers.

With a view to preventing further robberies by Russian workers, small civilian guard parties were organized in some country parishes, to patrol where they were working by day. Despite the German claim that these unfortunate men were adequately fed, they found it necessary to grub amongst the growing potato plants, and to eat the half-rotten seed raw, seed that had been in the ground for a couple of months.

This 1943 spring brought an extreme shortage — ordinary rations continued to follow a gradually lessening trend, and vegetables — the sole unlimited item permitted to be on the menu — were almost non-existent, with the exception of leeks and swedes.

The R.A.F. attacked a convoy in St. Aubin's Bay at about 5.30 p.m. on April 27th, sinking two ships outright, whilst another sank after being assisted into harbour by tugs. A fourth was damaged. Judging by the activities of the German ambulances during the evening, the casualties must have been considerable. Later during the night other planes passed over and were greeted with flak.

The German reaction to the attacks on shipping was expressed as follows:

Wherever German forces have occupied enemy territory they have safeguarded the supplies for the civilian population. To this the British Channel Islands have been no exception. The British Command, on the other hand, does its worst to hamper and interrupt the steady flow of supplies to the Isles, regardless of the fact that the population of the Islands are their own countrymen. Since as a result of these nuisance raids the rations of the civil population have to be reduced, they may thank their countrymen across the Channel for such measures. Mr. Churchill and the men behind him will not achieve any military results with their nuisance raids. But it is typical of their well-known ruthlessness and lack of consideration that they do not refrain from exposing their own fellow-countrymen to hardships and sufferings which might well have been avoided. At least, however, the Island population ought to know the guilty party.

A few days later the following notice was issued:

During the past few days, the Field Commandant and a Delegation of the States Council have held conferences with reference to the sinking of ships by Allied Forces in waters adjacent to the Channel Islands and to the possible effect of such sinking on insular supplies. The Delegation received the assurance of the Field Commandant that the 20% reduction in the present bread ration of the entire civil population over 21 years of age is dictated by the existing war situation, and is in no sense a punishment against the civil population. Future events will show the time during which it may be necessary to continue the reduction.