Key events & commemorations Remembrance Day of November 11 () Liberation Day of May 9 Day (VE-Day) Victory inEurope of May 8 Memorial Day Holocaust of January 27 th th th th

History The ChannelIslands United Kingdom the surrenderof NaziGermany. were notevacuated andreliefonly came after considerable privations for theciviliansthat of theBattleNormandy,resulted in imposed ontheislandsfollowing thewin blockade,bunkers. The Allied numerous attacks, withseveral coastal batteries and guarding theFrench coastagainst Allied onwards, theywere turnedinto fortresses, occupied byNaziGermany. From June1940 oftheBritishwere Islesto theonlyparts be Dependencies ofJerseyandGuernsey The self-governingBritish Crown invasion of Western Europe. became thestaging groundfor the Allied the V-weapons. In1944,GreatBritain also attacks bythe German Air Force andlater by almost allfrontswhiletheciviliansendured entered thewar. British forces fought on until theUnited States andtheSoviet Union toUK was face left Nazi onitsown defeat. After thedefeat ofFrance in1940, resistance against Germany anditsfinal Great Britain played akey roleinthe gives the V for Victory sign. VE-Day Prime Minister

TOUR & TRAVEL GUIDE UK & THE CHANNEL ISLANDS Eisenhower talking to histroops other countries. from Britain, theUnited States, Canadaandseveral the Second World War. The operation involved troops D-Day isoneofthemostrememberedcampaigns of for D-Day Preparation mammoth task. A vast army ofworkers (codenamed ) was a overlooked,Often planningtheinvasion enormous undertaking. German army. Planningtheinvasion was an campaign to gainvictory againstthe across theEnglishChannelto begintheir On 6June1944,the Allied forces sailed Operation Fortitude ONE OF THE WAR’S GREATEST DECEPTION OPERATIONS made aroundDover. Butitwas allfake. Western Europe,extensive military preparations were and concealthereallocation ofthe Allied invasion of Fortitude South.Inorderto misleadtheGerman army one ofthe War’s greatest deceptionplans,Operation As D-Day approached,Kent became thestage for invasion atalater date. his besttroops inPas-de-Calais, expecting anevenlarger theNormandylandings, Even longafter Adolf Hitler retained troops acrossto . 6 June,Operation Overlord, successfully delivered185.000 invasion was launchedfromDover, whiletherealinvasion on invasion viatheStraits ofDover. On 5June1944,amock revealed thattheGermantroops indeedexpected an Allied to hisgovernment,recountingaconversation withHitler, A decrypted transmission fromtheJapanese Ambassador made. crafts were stationed. Evenfalse radio transmissions were embarkation pointswheredummy airplanesandlanding the construction and ofroads,bridges, buildings,airfields Army Group(FUSAG) was placedinKent, by supported routethe shortest acrosstheChannel. A fictitious 1st U.S. obvious placefor an Allied invasion into Europe,offering For theGermantroops,Pas-de-Calais looked to bethe Germantroopsawaydivert fromNormandy. to developamock invasion atPas-de-Calais, allworking to invasion ofNorway, whileOperation Fortitude Southwas designed to give theimpressionofanimpending Allied of Normandy(June 1944).Operation Fortitude was North and concealthereallocation oftheforeseen Allied invasion Operation Fortitude soughtto misleadtheGermanarmy for the D-Day landings Map showing disembarkation andembarkation points Dummy aircraft ofOperation aspart Fortitude Britain. implementation ofD-Day arelocated across linked to theplanning,preparation and be inplentiful supply. An array ofsites travelling fleet to ensuring that fuel would from providingsafe harbours for the toiled onvarious elementsofthecampaign, on HermIslandandLihouwas abandoned. theIsland.Onefamily lived residents left uninhabited Island.Incontrast, noSark the occupying forces arrived to analmost residents of were evacuated and of Jerseyfled.Conversely, all virtually Around 6,000ofthe47,000 inhabitants occupation to liberation The ChannelIslands, from harbour byGermanforces on28June1940. notice prior to thebombingofSt.Peter Port 12,000 adultshadbeenevacuated atshort occupation; four ofchildren and fifths remained ontheIslandduring theGerman of theresidentpopulationGuernsey stifling rules andregulations. Almosthalf five hardandhungryyearslivingunder Those choosingto remainexperienced together livingunderGermanrule. family byevacuating onlytheirchildrenorto remain to leave theirhomesandmoveto ,dividetheir occupied, thepopulationfaced thetraumatic decision When itbecame clearthattheIslandswould be Ecstatic crowds greet British from Officerrs the Liberating British Force. © Museum The ‘Friendly Invasion’ the ‘Friendly Invasion’. war from1942to 1945. This eventbecame knownas remained inlargenumbersthroughouttherestof the UKto assistwiththewar inEurope. effort They thousands of American troopscrossedthe Atlantic to the Second World War inDecember1941,hundredsof Quickly following theUnited States’ entrance into iconic American food appearedinBritain for thefirsttime dances suchasthejitterbug to GreatBritain. Inaddition, culture. They introducedpopular American musicand cities throughouttheUKhadaprofound impact onBritish The American servicemenstationed in various villagesand

the endofwar... the British girlfriends emigrated to theUSat marriages.great numberofwartime Many of turned into romanticones. This resulted ina cultivating friendly relationships thatoften of thecinemas,cafes, restaurants andpubs, would spend theirfreetimeinmany often as thespecialguests. American servicemen open to thepublicwithmany British girls to rations. Many American camps helddances nylon stockings supplydue –items inshort such aschocolate, candy, cigarettes, and tea andmeals. The Americans brought gifts their homesto the American servicemenfor and Coca Cola.British families opened often such aspeanutbutter, chewing gum,donuts linger throughouttheirlives. re-connect withtheirfamilies, whichwould evacuated childrensuffered aninabilityto fortifications dotted thelandscape. Many the inhabitants oftheIslandsandGerman reaching. Food hademaciated shortages The effects oftheoccupation were far lives clearing mines. both British andGermansoldierslosttheir was achievedwithoutarmedconflict, sadly on the9&10May 1945. While theliberation Islands were liberated by Allied Force 135 largely unoccupied byGermanforces. The exercises, thesesmallerIslandsremained Mainly usedfor huntingandtraining Racial segregation. years. Americans soldiersandBritish civiliansduring thesethree images abovecapture thefriendship thatgrew between the largely strengthenedthanksto the‘Friendly Invasion’. The of thewar, the American –British cultural relationshipwas American states intheyears following thewar. By theend separated as interracial marriage remainedillegalinmany white British girlfriends endedintears. Families were often relationships between black American servicemenandtheir alternated days certain for each race. Many interracial U.S. military asonlyfor blackorwhite soldiers,whileothers British Certain towns weretime apart. designated bythe servicemen servedinseparate units,andspenttheirfree racial segregationwiththem. White and African American The Americans alsobroughttheiroppressivesystem of since 2019 “Cultural Route oftheCouncilEurope” The Liberation Route Europe hasbeena +31 (0)636335370 [email protected] Project manager +31 (0)654388386 [email protected] Director liberationroute.com +32 (0)485136833 1050 , BE 131 Rue deStassart +31 (0)85-3309090 NL 6811 AE, , Jansbuitensingel 30 Newday Offices JOËL STOPPELS JURRIAAN DE MOL NETHERLANDS PARTNERS &SPONSORS

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Important sites across the country Preparation for D-Day

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International Bomber Command Centre Bletchley Park Churchill War Rooms The D-Day Story LINCOLN ― internationalbcc.co.uk MILTON KEYNES ― bletchleypark.org.uk ― iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms PORTSMOUTH ― theddaystory.com

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Cambridge American Cemetery IWM Duxford Maritime Museum Allied naval headquarters, and Memorial DUXFORD ― iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford ST. ― jerseyheritage.org/places-to-visit/ Southwick House MADINGLEY ― abmc.gov/Cambridge maritime-museum FAREHAM ― Admission by email DSPG-HQ- [email protected]

5 Royal Navy Submarine Museum GOSPORT ― nmrn.org.uk/submarine-museum Dover 5 6 DOVER ― english-heritage.org.uk/visit/ places/dover-castle LONDON ― iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london

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The Channel Islands, 1

from occupation to liberation 1

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Alderney Harbour & Museum The German Occupation Museum 2 5 ALDERNEY ISLAND ― LES HOUARDS FOREST, GUERNSEY ― alderneysociety.org/museum germanoccupationmuseum.co.uk 3 4 2

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Castle Cornet Elizabeth Castle 1 ST. PETER PORT, GUERNSEY ― ST. HELIER ― 5 museums.gov.gg/CastleCornet jerseyheritage.org/places-to-visit/elizabeth-castle

6 Monument to Freedom ST. HELIER 6

6 5 7 7 V for Victory 3 ST. HELIER 3 8 Mill Lane and La Seigneurie 9 LA SEIGNEURIE, ISLAND ― laseigneuriegardens.com

Memorial to US Motor Torpedo 8 Fauvic Embarkation Point 9 Squadron 34 ST. BRELADE

Liberation Monument 10 Harbour 11 The White Rock Pier HERM ISLAND ST. PETER PORT, GUERNSEY