Archive of newspapers and broadsides from the German WWII occupation of the Channel Islands

The Channel Islands, an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy, are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consisting of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and some smaller islands

In June of 1940, when France fell to the Germans, the British government decided that it was impractical to try to defend the islands, so they demilitarized them.  Many of the residents were evacuated to England, but many decided to remain.  By the end of June, the Germans arrived, and their occupation lasted for the remainder of the war, from 30 June 1940 until liberation on 9 May 1945. The islands were the only de jure part of the British Empire in Europe to be occupied by Nazi Germany during the war. Of course, such ephemera from this mostly forgotten story of the war are rarely available in the market.

This exceptional group comprise a fascinating record of the occupation.  It includes:

1.      A German proclamation broadside, issued on D-Day, printed in both German and English, warning the residents to keep calm and refrain from any activity that could be considered anti-German.

2.      Two pro-German broadsides in French, probably printed in Paris and air-dropped

3.      20 local Jersey newspapers, The Evening Post, 2-4 pages each, published from 1941 to 1945, containing what local and war news were allowed in print by the Germans, as well as all of the usual advertisements of the local businesses trying to continue in business, despite the occupation.

4. A single copy of a German newspaper published on Jersey, dated November 17, 1943. (This paper does have 4” tears across it, but is still complete.)

The condition of all of the items ranges from fair to very good, with typical aging and edge wear, but overall well preserved.

$495 Shipping included within the US. International shipping at cost.

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