The five-year German occupation came to an end on 16 May 1945 and the first day the islanders were able to return to their island on December 15 is known as Homecoming Day, an event still celebrated in Alderney with an annual Bank Holiday. Alderney celebrates 65 years of freedom since the island was used for German concentration camps during World War II. This is the site of some of the best-preserved German defenses in the Channel Islands and offers a remarkable insight into the fortification of the island. The War Years Finished in 2018, the film discovered more about the little known fact that Alderney housed the only concentration camp on British soil. Sark was liberated on 10 May 1945, and the German troops in Alderney surrendered on 16 May 1945. The award winning museum provides history of the island from the pre-historic period to the present day and hosts lectures by many knowledgeable speakers. Cambridge Battery and Battery n.3 are both part of Fort Tourgis. During the 4 years of war the island was transformed into Festung Alderney with five Coastal Artillery Batteries, 22 Anti-Aircraft Batteries, 13 Strongpoints, 12 Resistance Nests, three Defence Lines and 30,000 Landmines, the most fortified island in the World yet - no battle was ever fought. A 3 part documentary series which captures the stories of the people through the evacuation, occupation and homecoming to Alderney in their own words. One tells the tale of Alderney's history through photographs, the other … If you missed it all the films are available to buy from the Alderney Wildlife Trust shop.To mark the 75th anniversary of the mass evacuation of Alderney there will be a special free 24 hour viewing of the documentary 'The Evacuation' here from 12:01 AM Tuesday 23 June: . Alderney The War Years Synopsis : Aurigny – Les années de guerre raconte l’histoire de l’évacuation d’Aurigny le 23 juin 1940 jusqu’au lendemain de sa libération le 16 mai 1945, découvrant qui a visité l’île pendant l’occupation allemande, en utilisant les récits de ceux qui étaient là chaque fois que possible. Unlike the other Channel Islands only a handful of residents still lived on the island to witness the German occupation and construction of forced labour camps and a concentration camp, the only one ever on British soil. On the orders of Adolf Hitler, they were transformed into impregnable fortresses, works that still mark the islands today. This documentary looked to explore what really happened during the traumatic war years and the affect it had on the survivors and the island since. 70 years after the Homecoming Eye Film interviewed Alderney residents to capture their memories on film of what it was like in the post war period and how their parents and grandparents set about rebuilding Alderney. The Germans surrendered Alderney on 16 May 1945, eight days after the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, and seven days after the liberation of Guernsey and Jersey. Hosted by. It is always a great place to stop off along your walk around the headland. Eye Film. :13The fir… On the orders of Adolf Hitler, … Inset The Germans march in. The States of Alderney comprises ten Members, and a President of the States of Alderney, currently William Tate who was elected in 2019 to replace Stuart Trought who retired after eight years of presidency. It’s fantastic to say that Alderney The War Years is being shown in France on Dec 1st at the Festival Les Egaluantes. During World War ll, Alderney was the most heavily fortified Channel Island as part of Hitler's so-called 'Atlantic Wall'. The island landscape was changed dramatically as Hitler used Alderney as part of his Atlantic Wall. SS SS Obersturmfuhrer Braun's thanks for his 'happy hours' in Alderney. This left the German troops free to build four concentration camps for … Credit: ITV Channel TV In 1940 at 12-years-old, Beda Thompson, along with all but seven of Alderney… Take a look at our brochure and start planning your trip. Take a look at our brochure and start planning your trip. That tiny Alderney — less than four miles long and a mile-and-a-half wide — was the site of slave labour camps during the war has been recognised … We hope you enjoyed the special viewing of the documentary 'The War Years' by Eye Film, to mark the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Alderney from German occupation at the end of WWII. Alderney, 1940. vital to surviving an occupation. Nearly all of its population was evacuated to England. Share this event with your friends. The Island Militia may have existed for centuries, as did the Militias of Guernsey and Jersey. From the 1920s it was in private hands and crushed stone was taken off-island for road-building until the Second World War. We hope you enjoyed the special viewing of the documentary 'The War Years' by, If you missed it all the films are available to buy from the. This series of three documentaries was a crowdfunded project about our island's WWII story, the darkest period in Alderney’s modern history.THE EVACUATIONThe Evacuation begins in the days prior to the 23rd June 1940 and follows the Alderney island evacuees as they reminisce on their emotional and sometimes frightening journey from their homeland to their new lives as Channel Island refugees on the British mainland. By using this website you agree to allow cookies onto your computer. 229 Interested. The missing wrought-iron fence was probably stripped by the German occupying forces for its metal. By using this website you agree to allow cookies onto your computer. 2,332 German prisoners of war were removed from Alderney on 20 May 1945, leaving 500 Germans to undertake clearing up operations … War crimes and deaths in the island during the Nazi occupation in the Second World War have been a controversial subject for years. By using this website you agree to allow cookies onto your computer. In June 1940, the Channel Islands - British Crown Dependencies - were occupied by German forces. This documentary looked to explore what really happened during the traumatic war years and the affect it had on the survivors and the island since. Alderney: The War Years. This series of three documentaries was a crowdfunded project about our island's WWII story, the darkest period in Alderney’s modern history. Historiquement, par les films qui lui font référence ou les films qui y ont été tournés. It carried stone for around 130 years. Alderney’s experience of the Second World War differs from that of Jersey, Guernsey, and Sark, in that almost the entire population was evacuated before the Germans’ arrival. [4] During the War, under German occupation, no effort was made to maintain the breakwater. Screening of all three documentarys every Thursday and Saturday at 10am upstairs in the Alderney Wildlife Trust Centre, Victoria Street.Other times by arrangements. Alderney was where T.H. 75 Years on Eye Film interviewed as many of those who were still alive to hear first hand the story of the evacuation and the week leading up to it. Finished in 2018, the film discovered more about the little known fact that Alderney housed the only concentration camp on British soil. Alderney: The War Years In June 1940, the Channel Islands - British Crown Dependencies - were occupied by German forces. They found an island completely changed and reinforced by the Germans with hundreds of bunkers, gun posts and even remnants of the 30,000 landmines. Alderney author Brian Bonnard has published two books revisiting Alderney's past. They are an excellent example of how Alderney's original Victorian fortifications were utilised during WWII. On their return they found their homeland changed forever. Event Transparency. Alderney's residents, evacuated during the war, are welcomed back to the island by British troops in 1946. If you missed it all the films are available to buy from the Alderney Wildlife Trust shop. Alderney was then run as a communal farm for 2 years after the war to help repair the island. THE WAR YEARSThe War Years was the hardest film to make in the series, which meant it was the last one created. Three years earlier, a prisoner from Sylt was gunned down by the SS on this spot. The War Years Films A 3 part documentary series which captures the stories of the people through the evacuation, occupation and homecoming to Alderney in their own words. Vous pourrez ainsi regarder ce documentaire en VOST et découvrir cette page sombre de l'Histoire d'Aurigny. By using this website you agree to allow cookies onto your computer. Pendant 24h samedi 16 mai, le film The War Years (Aurigny, Les Années de Guerre) produit par Eye Film sera disponible sur notre site internet (nous vous donnerons le lien vendredi). The origin of the States is unknown, but has operated from the medieval period. When William the Conquerer become King in 1066 Alderney was attached to the English Crown for the first time. Alderney The War Years - 58 MinutesFrom July 1940 – May 1945 Alderney was occupied by German soldiers. THE HOMECOMINGAfter spending over five years on mainland Britain, on December 15th 1945 the Alderney islanders finally began to return home. A record of a German unit's departure from Alderney to St Malo at the end of June 1944, after D-Day. Along the way they discovered just how busy the island remained throughout the war, it’s historical significance and what atrocities took place. For this week as part of #Heritage75 we will be sharing Alderney’s WWII unique story. Find out more » Read our cookie policy. . An unidentified woman cycles across Alderney. A propos des Egaluantes. Alderney suffered greatly during the second world war. Visit Alderney. White, best known today for his Arthurian tetraology, The Once and Future King, settled for the final years of his life, after spending much of World War II in western Ireland. Eye Film spent a year researching archives, tracking down survivors and islanders to tell this little known story. With the end of the war, Lager (camp) Sylt and other smaller German camps on Alderney were dismantled and slowly faded into the landscape. Le Cotentin est une terre cinématographique, au coeur de la Normandie. Unlike the other Channel Islands only a handful of residents still lived on the island to witness the German occupation and construction of forced labour camps and a concentration camp, the only one ever on British soil. Finished in 2018, the film discovered more about the little known fact that Alderney housed the only concentration camp on British soil. [citation needed] Aftermath Alderney was first inhabited 2000 years before the arrival of the Romans. Alderney The War Years - 58 Minutes From July 1940 – May 1945 Alderney was occupied by German soldiers. This MP3 five-story naval range finding tower, known as 'The Odeon' is a fine example of the concrete bunkers built by the German forces during WWII. Located near Longis Bay, 'The Nunnery' is the best preserved Roman small fort in Britain and is the first evidence of military construction on the island. Alderney The Homecoming - 47 minutesOn December 15 1945 the first Alderney residents began to return to their beloved island, after 5 ½ years as refugees. He ended up buying a house at 5 Connaught Square. Many of its residents evacuated to the mainland, and those who stayed were moved to Guernsey by the occupying forces. King Edward III of England authorised Thomas de Ferres in 1337 to “levy and train” militias in the Guernsey, Jersey, Sark and Alderney, to the use of arms and to aray them in thousands, hundreds and twenties. Signatures of German soldiers from … Vous connaissez certainement moins son histoire mouvementée durant la 2nde guerre mondiale : Soirée exceptionnelle jeudi 8 octobre à 20h30 au cinéma le Palace à Equeurdreville: Projection du film Alderney, the war years (Aurigny, les années de guerre) suivie d'un échange avec le public en présence de Benoît LUC (auteur du livre Les déportés de France vers Aurigny), d' Olivier JOUAULT (professeur d'histoire … Alderney Court House shortly after the war, probably in 1946. There are many information boards covering Alderney's history and natural history. Alderney: The Evacuation and Homecoming is a three part documentary series produced by Eye Film which captures the stories of the people who struggled through the evacuation, occupation and homecoming to Alderney in their own words: Alderney The Evacuation- 29 MinutesOn June 23 1940 nearly all of the population of Alderney was evacuated before the Germans could reach the island. Alderney was the only Channel Island to be evacuated during WWII as the island became part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall. But just 75 years ago, it was a feared and heavily guarded German prison where hundreds of men suffered and died at the hands of their Nazi captors on its soil. However the oldest surviving reference to the island is in the Charter of 1042. The States of Alderney is the parliament/council and the legislature of Alderney, part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Alderney's evacuees spent the war years in Guernsey, Glasgow and various places the world over. Alderney - The War Years tells the story from the Evacuation of Alderney on June 23rd 1940 until the immediate aftermath of its liberation on May 16th 1945, discovering who visited the island during the German occupation, using the accounts of those who were there wherever possible. Read our cookie policy. Alderney Gaol is an adjoining building just behind the courthouse. THE WAR YEARS The War Years was the hardest film to make in the series, which meant it was the last one created. The German prisoners of war were removed from Alderney by 20 May 1945, and its population started to return in December 1945, after clearing up had been carried out by German troops under British military supervision. The museum has won prestigious awards since its opening in 1966, most notably the 1999 Gulbenkian award for "most outstanding achievement with limited resources". The island had been ransacked and looted, not just by Germans, and the film follows the impacts of this initial shock and the subsequent struggles to rebuild their homes and their community.