Jersey
under the Swastika!

Page 49 - Philip Frederick Le Sauteur

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (SECTION 1)

The end - Freedom

With the news obviously indicating that the war was rapidly drawing to a close, a wave of optimism swept over Jersey. Flags which the shops had kept hidden for five long years were brought out and sold in their thousands. There was nothing surreptitious about this, and many hundreds of people gathered in the Royal Square to hear a proclamation which, it was falsely rumoured, the Bailiff was to make.

There were one or two minor incidents when some of the less tactful flaunted Union Jacks in the faces of the German soldiers, but the troops behaved with the greatest restraint.

Excitement continued to run high over the week-end. and most of the troops seemed to stay in their billets. The German scuttlers, from whom most trouble might be expected, had, it was noticed, been disarmed. It was rumoured that the smoke of ships had been to the south of the Island, but this was probably premature. In fact, rumour had a very busy time during these few days. On the night of May 7th, for more than an hour, signal lights were seen flashing from various high points of the Island, and the harbour area was flood-lit by searchlights.

On May 8th many people who had received the radio news that the war was at end end put up their flags. The Bailiff issued a statement requesting the people to maintain their calm and dignity during the difficult days, adding that he was in constant touch with the Admiral commanding the Islands, and would inform the public of any change in the military situation at the earliest possible moment. Later it was announced that the Bailiff would speak in the Royal Square immediately after Mr. Churchill's speech at 3.0 p.m. and meanwhile those who had put up their flags were requested to take them down until that hour. Loudspeakers were hurrriedly being erected so as to relay the broadcast speech, and, the electric supply being got working, many people who had mains radio sets brought them out and placed them in their windows, so that all might hear.

Mr. Churchill's reference in his speech to "Our dear Channel Islanders" being free that day brought relief to many hearts, even though he was actually a little premature. The Bailiff, in a moving speech, annnounced that the Navy were already on their way from England to arrange the surrender of the Islands.

Such a complete volte-face has seldom been seen anywhere in so short a time. In the morning there was a great deal of uncertainty, despite the public knowledge that Germany had surrendered unconditionally, lest Admiral Hueffmiere, with his known Nazi tendencies, should decide to hold the Islands. It was later reported that he wanted to do so, but the complete refusal of his officers force him to surrender. By evening, the place was in a turmoil, with flags and tricolour favours everywhere, and quantities of fireworks which had (literally) been brought to light after being stowed away since before the war. Some of the Germans, even, joined in by firing off verey lights. It was a peculiar situation — the Germans were still armed, and were nominally in charge of the situation. Yet the American and Algerian prisoners-of-war had been released, and the whole civilian population were ecstatically celebrating the end of Germany. However anti-Nazi the soldiers might have been, and however much they had wished for the end of the war it must have been a most bitter experience for them, especially as, through lack of communication, they had had no news of their families in Germany for some time. And yet they behaved with admirable restraint, keeping their tempers when they might have had some excuse not to do so.

Towards evening, the destroyers BULLDOG and BEAGLE arrived off Guernsey, and made rendezvous with a German naval officer just off St. Peter Port. A rusty trawler stopped within hail, and dropped overside a rubber dinghy. Into this tumbled three naval ratings, followed by an officer who sat in the stern sheets. With the crew paddling, the dinghy made a crab-wise approach to the BULLDOG, the German officer being continually washed to the waist by sea-water coming aboard the craft.

 A Royal Navy guard of honour bad been mounted in the BULLDOG, and when the float came alongside the officer clambered up the side and stood — a miserable-looking, dripping, pale-faced figure, giving the Nazi salute to the salute of the guard. He gave his name as Kapitan Lieutenant Zimmerman, a junior officer and he was taken below to the wardroom, where Brigadier Snow, in command of the British land force, awaited him.

The German was told that the unconditional surrender of the Islands was required, but he replied tbat he had no power to sign such a document, and that he had merely been sent to enquire the terms of armistice. He was curtly informed that unconditional surrender and nothing less was required. He then added nervously that he bad been told to say that the British force must leave, or their presence would be taken as an unfriendly action. He was then told to leave the wardroom, and hour later was called back and handed the terms of surrender in German and English, together with the time and place of a fresh rendezvous, and he left the British ship.

The British ships then left the vicinity of St. Peter Port and cruised out of range of the heavy guns on the Island. During this evening, the lights of ships could be seen off the south coast of Jersey, and presumably came from the BULLDOG and the BEAGLE. As the time of rendezvous, one minute after midnight, drew nearer, the ships again closed on Guernsey and, arriving at the designated point, awaited the arrival of the Nazi emissaries. Nothing happened for some time, until the lights of a ship were seen approaching. A searchlight was put on her, and she was seen to be the same trawler. There was a further delay, and the vessel was hailed on the loudspeaker and asked : "When are you going to lower a boat?" Very soon a boat was put out and came alongside. This time she bore as passengers a military officer of rank and Zimmerman. They were again received with naval honours and escorted to the wardroom, where the military officer, Major-General Heine, answered "Ja" to all the questions put to him by the British Brigadier. He was then told that the articles of surrender would be signed at 7.0 a.m., and promptly at that hour on the destroyer's quarter deck, using an up-ended rum barrel for a desk, General Heine signed eight copies of the articles which ended five years' domination by the Germans of the only part of the British Dominions invaded by them.

Later in the day (Wednesday, May 9th), the BEAGLE arrived in Jersey, and landed a small Naval party. They were greeted in a manner which they will probably never forget, and the delirious excitement reached fresh heights when Colonel Robinson, Jersey's new Military Commander, headed a small contingent of artillery up from the piers, now thronged with people who, for five years, had not been allowed there. His own report of progress as 100 yards an hour was certainly not exaggerated, and he and his men nearly had their hands wrung off.