Offences Against the Occupying Authorities

Abstract

The above figures are a matter of record, and give a very adequate riposte to such criticisms as appear opposite. But what will always remain surprising is that so many Islanders dared to commit offences against the unique backdrop of their subjugation, especially given the enormous presence of enemy personnel. It is also likely that many offenders were suffering from various degrees of malnutrition, which would not only have sapped their energy, but also increased anxiety levels, and thus rendered them less likely to take risks. What is also notable is that in contrast with the subject of the last chapter, details of defiance, resistance and escapes which took place in and from the Islands have generally been amongst the least explored and publicised. Only in the last 15 years has there been an apparent upsurge of interest, as the 45th and 50th anniversaries of Liberation loomed large upon the Islands’ historical horizon.

France’s foremost scholar on the Second World War, Professor Jean-Pierre Azema, estimates that … roughly 3% of the population, had become militants or active supporters of the Resistance by Spring 1944. No comparison is intended with the … heroic action of some French Resistance movements but, if figures have anything to say about a general willingness to confront the occupying force, the Channel Islands have little reason to shy away from comparisons with the rest of Europe … 4,000 people were arrested during the Occupation for breaking German law in the … Islands, a figure representing [more than] 5% of the population … to this should be added the number of … escapees that ran at 225.¹