Jersey
under the Swastika!

Page 39 - Philip Frederick Le Sauteur

CHAPTER ELEVEN (SECTION 3)

1943

On the civilian side, the three years of occupation had brought a condition of mind by no means normal in character and outlook. Most of the young females — and many of the married women, too — seemed to have become oblivious of their own nationality. Their morals, at least, were their own business. Many of the men, also, were only too willing to fraternize with the German soldiers, probably for what they could get out of them. Even some of the most prominent businessmen were not above entertaining the troops in their own homes.

Another sequence of the long period of nervous tension without any prospect excepting that which mere hope could offer, was the extraordinary belief in such things as fortune telling, and a great many of the Islanders more than half believed in the answers to their queries which a glass and a circle of letters produced.

As part of a campaign to cut down V.D., the Gendarmerie made a surprise raid on the cafes frequented by the Germans and the Germanites, as a result of which the girls found were taken to the German hospital at Merton Hotel and examined. Quite a number were subsequently transferred to the General Hospital for treatment.

About mid-June, despite the continued noted absence of any air activity, five minesweepers became active for several days in St. Aubin's Bay, and judging by the many loud explosions, their efforts were undoubtedly necessary. It was curious, however, that this particular operation was done at night with the aid of searchlights. Ordinary shipping, of course, almost invariably moved at night, but one would imagine that minesweeping would be more comfortably carried out during daytime. The R.A.F. relieved the monotony a little by providing the flak with their first action for some time on the night of the 12th, when a heavy barrage was put up for the "benefit" of planes in the neighbourhood .

The still-prevalent diphteria was quoted as the reason for the banning of all public assemblies excepting Churches, but including dances and cinemas. But, as the more obvious sources of infection — the schools — were left open, most people interpreted the order as an attempt to stop what little pleasure was available, especially as the Germans themselves were mourning for their comrades in Stalingad.

Both heavy and light A.A. batteries went into action during the forenoon of August 7th with negative results. Again, on the afternoon of the l2th, a few rounds were fired at a couple of planes over St. Aubin's Bay, at a time when a number of ships were leaving the Bay. The garrison, incidentally, were very busy all this time, holding anti-invasion manoeuvres nearly every night in some part of the Island.

The latest item in the direction of economy was water, now shut off from 9.0 p.m. till 6.0 a.m., so that it became necessary to plan all one's requirements in advance, even so far as for sanitary purposes.

On the night of August 2lst, a large barge broke adrift from her tug in a sudden squall. She went on the rocks west of Demi des Pas, with the result that the adjacent beaches were strewn with bags of flour, onions and much other flotsam. Subsequently, frantic efforts were made to salvage the goods. Ultimately the vessel got clear of the rocks, only to sink in the fairway.

A few weeks later, another squall caused the loss of two more barges near the Dog's Nest. The tug itself ran aground at the back of Elizabeth Castle. Refloated later on, this vessel sank at the entrance to St. Aubin's Harbour, and again had to be salvaged. Surely a chapter of accidents for the Germans!

Most of the German building firms which had been operating under the auspices of the O.T. were packing up and leaving the Island. The Eastern Railway, which had hardly been used except in its own construction, lost most of its engines and rolling stock, and a huge stone crusher which had been erected at l'Etacq was blown up. Every night barges and ships left loaded with heavy building plant, also with foreign workers, but a huge fire on the Route Orange relieved them of the necessity of taking away huts, workshops and stores.

Flak batteries went into action on several occasions, both by day and night, during the month of September, with their characteristic ineffectiveness. On the afternoon in particular, the Island was thrilled by a big U.S. bomber which passed over Jersey from end to end with superb contempt for the guns, neither troubling to increase height or speed, nor to take evasive action. The German shell burst, however, showed very poor shooting, and certainly deserved the contemptuous attitude of the U.S. plane's crew. During this trip, the bomber's guns were directed against some Germans in Grands Vaux, and it was believed that several were killed.

After several weeks in the water, the body of a U.S. airman was picked up at Bonne Nuit, and buried the following morning.

As the advance guard of a larger force, some 200 Italian soldiers arrived on October 23rd, complete whith band and instruments. These latter looked as if they had not been cleaned since the Abyssinian campaign. The men wore armlets marked: DEUTSCHE WERMACHT. If these men were to be taken as a fair example of the Italian Army, it is hardly surprising that they had put up such a poor showing.

As well as the "Wops", the Germans were relying on quite a few White Russian volunteered labelled POA, to assist in the defence of the Island. It must be admitted, however, that these Russian volunteers were very fine men physically — a marked contrast to the poor little Italians.

The naval engagement in which the cruiser H.M.S. CHARYBDIS and a destroyer were lost in the gulf of St. Malo, was clearly audible in Jersey, and during the next few weeks the bodies of quite a number of naval ratings were washed ashore.

During the last week in October, an R.A.F. plane left its undercarriage at St. Ouen's together with some leaflets printed in French. There was plenty of R.A.F. activity audible in the neighbourhood, and the local flak had a couple of excitements during the evening of November 10th.

Following on a burglary of the commandeered sets stored in St. Clement's Parish Hall (the Germans had cleared all of the other stores), a civilian guard was made to do duty there for several weeks from 10.0 p.m. till 6.0 a.m. St. Saviour's had to provide a similar guard to protect the grape vines at "Beauvoir" — the house had been occupied by the Germans till a disastrous fire gutted it, and apparently they still relied on the gardens to supply them with delicacies.

Some considerable stir was caused locally by the funeral of Ober-lieutenant Zipperneck, who was killed when a French train was straffed by the R.A.F., and who was brought to Jersey to be buried. He had been stationed in the Island for three years as one of the officials at College House and, presumably for propaganda reasons, special buses were provided for the public to attend his funeral at St. Brelade's. No doubt a few officials who had come in contact with the young officer could not help but attend the ceremony, but it was a really amazing sight to witness the huge crowd who attended and sent wreaths. One wonders how many of these same spectators displayed their gratitude and respect to the British and American airmen who had been buried just a little previously; to whom, surely, more gratitude and respect were due than to an enemy, however polite he may have been. One Colonel found it necessary to attempt to justify his attendance at the funeral in the press, so clearly had he been shown the disappoval of the public.

About this time a sea mine was washed ashore at Fauvic, and, on being exploded by gunfire, caused considerable damage to property over a radius of a mile. There were no casualties, however.

With more bodies of naval ratings being washed ashore every few days, the idea was conceived of converting a secluded corner of the Howard Davis Park into an Allied War Cemetery. Bodies which had already been interred were exhumed and removed there, and those subsequently washed ashore, or dying in Jersey, were interred there, their graves being tended by school children.

There was heavy flak on seveval occasions during the afternoon of December 5th, as well as similar actions during the previous days, but for a little while there was no night activity. The R.A.F. must have passed over the Island at night, notwithstanding, as was witnessed by the regular editions of L'AMERIQUE EN GUERRE and LE COURRIER DE L'AIR which they had dropped.

On Chrismas and New Year's Eve, the curfew was extended until 1.0 a.m. and on Christmas and Boxing Days, gas, water and electricity restrictions were lifted for these nights.

During the Christmas week, the R.A.F. gave the local A.A. gunners one or two little "panics", but the "enemy" planes missed coming on the day which really mattered, when a very big cargo ship, with an escort of seven destroyers, sheltered all day in St. Aubin's Bay.

A terrific and very wild barrage was put up on the night of the 30th, the intensity no doubt being due to the panicky state in which the second Commando raid on Salk, on December 28th, had left the Island garrison. As was customary after these "shows", double guards were placed everywhere, and all approaches to the beach were wired.