page_title: Deportations from the German-occupied Channel Islands
section_title: Ships and trains
hierarchical_section_title: Deportations from the German-occupied Channel Islands / German reaction / Ships and trains
caption_attribution_description: For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Hayingen, Soldaten an Feldküche Mittagsrast in Hayingen, Major Orth, Uffz. Oppermann, Koch Schöpperle [Album zur Landwehr-Artillerie-Abteilung 14 (Ldw.Art.Abt. 14).- Soldaten neben Feldkochherd (FKH, "Gulaschkanone")]
context_page_description: Deportations from the German-occupied Channel Islands refers to a specific wave of deportations by Nazi Germany of British citizens who were residents of the Channel Islands. The stated reason was retaliation for internment of German citizens in Persia by the British Government.
  On direct instructions from Adolf Hitler, and in breach of both International Law and the terms of surrender signed in July 1940, Nazi German forces deported and interned 2,300 Channel Island civilian residents who had committed no crimes.
  There were other deportations of British citizens from the Channel Islands, including deportations of Jews residing in those islands.
context_section_description: Hoping to ship out 1,200 people on 16 December, the Germans were disappointed when only 280 men women and children left Jersey on the first ship. The streets were lined with people, crying and waving. The Island gave them food to take with them. The German sailors put them into life jackets. Many ex-servicemen proudly wore their medals. As the ship sailed, patriotic songs were sung.
  Two days later, several ships in Jersey were ready and 600 more people were ordered to report. One ship was rejected by the Island authorities as it had just discharged a load of coal and was filthy, so only 346 people sailed. Those who were not shipped out returned to their houses to await the next ship, some finding that their houses had been stripped bare in their absence. The crowds attending to wave goodbye were larger than before and their patriotic singing angered the Germans, who responded with violence and arrests.
  Ships left Guernsey on 26 and 27 September with 825 deportees, including 9 from Sark. Guernsey borrowed two field kitchens from the Germans and cooked the “evacuees”, as the Germans referred to them, a meal. The ships departed after curfew. A third batch of 560 left Jersey on 29 September 1942. The Jersey sailing resulted in more crowds, singing and yet more violence and arrests.
  Rather than put the deportees in the ubiquitous "40 hommes et 8 chevaux" French boxcars, the Germans gave them second class train carriages to travel in. It took three days to reach the destination.
  On 21 January 1943 a question was asked of the Home Secretary in the House of Commons about deportations from Guernsey. No information was made public.
caption: German field kitchen
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