The German Occupation of Guernsey
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Port
St Peter Port, Guernsey
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
Local Sightseeing,All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$99.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 3½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
The Channel Islands were the only British territory to be occupied by the Germans during World War II. The sheer scale of the undertaking is still visible in the remnants of the German defenses on Guernsey today. You will visit two sites that tell the story of the occupation, which lasted from June, 1940 to May, 1945.
At the Occupation Museum, you are greeted by a model of an evacuee -- a reminder that half of Guernsey's population and most of the schoolchildren were evacuated to the United Kingdom. See a selection of band instruments used by some of the 12,000 troops stationed in Guernsey, together with uniforms, weapons and equipment. In the civilian room and the occupation kitchen, the day-to-day life of the islanders can be gleaned from reading the various orders, permits, censored newspapers and diaries they kept. A horse-drawn ambulance was introduced in 1944 due to rationing of gasoline.
A short transfer brings you to the Underground Hospital and Munitions Store. This maze of tunnels covers an area of about 75,000 square feet and is almost invisible from the surface. The hospital was equipped with an operating theater, kitchen, cinema, staff quarters and wards for 500 patients. Beds, cooking utensils, the X-ray room, laboratory, dispensary, sleeping quarters, storerooms, a cinema and the mortuary remain in place.
Notes:
Due to the limited tourism infrastructure available on Guernsey, your driver will be your guide. It is not always possible for additional assistance to be given to guests with mobility limitations. Motorized wheelchairs/scooters cannot be accommodated.