WW2 - Channel Islands

The only part of the British Isles occupied by Germany in the Second World War was the Channel Islands. This brought hardship and repression to the islanders.

On the Island of Alderney the Germans had spread untreated human sewage on the fields. They were warned of the grave danger of doing this, but to no avail.

A boy went to play in the fields, and he became very ill and died. Facilities for the people were very minimal. This meant that the boy’s mother had the distressing task of laying him out for burial. There was a group of men brought over from Guernsey by the Germans as labourers. They kindly made the coffin for the boy.

The funeral service was arranged, but a priest was needed. The mother, in her sorrow, had no alternative but to go to the German military to ask for someone to take the funeral. They agreed to provide somebody.

Welcome to our liberators!

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"Welcome to our liberators!” The signs with that message were everywhere on that day in 1994 as my wife, my daughter, my father-in-law and I drove into Arramanche in France’s beautiful Normandy region on the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasions by the Allies against the Nazis. 

Today is the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord, the plan for the Allied invasion of France to liberate Nazi-occupied Europe, going into action and there are many good lessons to learn from it. Operation Overlord required the tremendous effort of 14 Allied nations of such ingenuity and surprise that the German forces were caught napping and outwitted. It was the largest amphibious force ever mustered in world history, which launched the greatest airborne assault across the English Channel followed by an amphibious landing on five beaches in Normandy, France. The ingenuity, boldness and daring of such a plan is acknowledged the more one studies and learns about it.

We, 80 years on are today facing as great a spiritual foe as the Allies faced in WWII. It needs nothing less than a co-ordinated effort using the masterplan of our Over-Lord to resist its advance. 

Operation Mincemeat

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In a cemetery in Aberbargoed stands a memorial stone. On it is the inscription, “In recognition to the allied war effort by Glyndwr Michael of Aberbargoed”. But who was Glyndwr Michael and what did he do?

Glyndwr Michael was a homeless tramp who had died from eating rat poison.  The poison had caused pneumonia and he had died without any known relatives to mourn him.

So the question remains, “What did this penniless, insignificant man do to contribute to the war effort in 1943?”

The answer is found in an enigmatic inscription on the top of the memorial stone.

“Y dyn na fu erioed”.

Below is the English translation.

“The man who never was”.

Glyndwr Michael was, unknowingly, instrumental as one of the greatest deceptions named Operation Mincemeat which was carried out by British Intelligence to fool the enemy.  His body was acquired by the Intelligence service who then created a wholly fictitious person by the name of Major William Martin (Royal Marines).

A refugee’s gratitude

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Recently many news outlets published a story about a man, Eric Schwam, who died at the end of last year, at 90 years of age, and whose entire estate was bequeathed, not to his family or friends, or to an organisation, but to an entire village: Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, in southern France. The reason: he was an Austrian Jew, who had arrived there with his parents as a 12-year-old in 1943, fleeing from the Nazis. 

The people of the village hid them in the village school, where they remained, undiscovered, until the end of the Second World War. Mr Schwam intimated that the bequest (reckoned to be about two million euro) was "in gratitude for the welcome he received 78 years ago".

Remembrance Sunday

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Today is Remembrance Sunday and throughout the UK the now familiar ceremony of the two minutes silence is being observed just as it is every year. 

This year perhaps it has been a little less well attended due to circumstances, but there is still the call to remember as people wear poppies in support of those who have served in armed conflict.

As we reflect upon past conflicts it is true to say that such conflicts often bring out the best and the worst in people. There are many tales which tell of terrible atrocities and others which speak of great heroism. One such heroic tale that has emerged from the Second Word War is that of two young men called Bob and Jack. 

World War 2 Artefacts

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As a young boy, I was always fascinated by a few artefacts from World War II that were dotted around my grandparents’ house. These included large brass shells that had been polished and transformed into umbrella stands, some wooden boxes, an old army belt and an actual incendiary bomb that had been made safe.

I was always fascinated by history and would ask my grandfather to tell me stories from his experiences during the war. Even as a young boy I recognised that he had told me stories reluctantly and that these stories had been somewhat sanitised for my hearing.

My grandfather believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. As a Christian, at the outbreak of World War II, he didn’t want to fight and possibly be taking the lives of enemy soldiers and in effect ushering them into eternity, which they may not have been prepared for. He believed, as the Bible teaches that there are two eternal destinations, Heaven for those that accept God’s forgiveness and Hell for those who refuse the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

To avoid being put into this position, he decided to join up early so that he would have a choice where he served. He chose to join the Medical Corp, so that he wouldn’t have to carry arms. 

One of the first jobs he was given to do was just outside Bristol on the Downs. As the bombers flew over from Germany to bomb Bristol, they would send the first wave to drop incendiary devices to light the way, pointing out the targets to the second wave of bombers. He along with a few others were asked to light fires on the Downs to deflect the bombers away from the city, thus saving lives. Obviously, he with his comrades were in great danger. They had to dive into a bunker pulling sandbags over the door while bombs dropped around them.

My grandfather served as part of the Medical Corp in many areas, such as North Africa and Italy, he received many medals for bravery. He did this not carrying guns, but stretchers, pulling many soldiers from the battlefield. His faith in Jesus Christ had taught him to show love to those who had not shown love to him. In fact, he knew that our sin had made us enemies of God. God was not our enemy, we were His!

How did God react to our hostility? Did He treat us as an enemy?  No not at all, the Bible says that while we were still sinners, doing the very thing that God hates… Christ died for us.

Another Christian relative of mine found himself guarding a German war hero, this man had been awarded an Iron Cross by his country for bravery. Some of the other guards treated him badly, but my relative showed him kindness. As a result, he reacted with gratitude and cut a part of the ribbon from his Iron Cross and gave it to him.

God’s love is immense! Jesus Christ died taking the punishment that we deserved.  He expects us to react with gratitude, trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and allowing Him to lead in our lives.

In the box among my grandfather’s medals is the piece of ribbon that was given, it obviously had great significance to those involved.

When we read the Bible and think of how much God has loved us, how do we react? Do we reject Him or do we worship Him and trust in Him for what Jesus Christ has done on the cross for us?

Messages with Meaning written by Stuart Scammell for 542day and published with permission