Unveiling the Dark Past of Alderney: The British Island with Nazi Atrocities

Alderney, a peaceful British island in the English Channel known for its stunning natural beauty, was once home to the only Nazi camps on British soil. It was a cruel and horrific place for the thousands of inmates who were held there.

Recently, a new investigation was launched by the UK's Special Envoy for Post Holocaust Issues, Eric Pickles, and a team of experts. Their goal was to determine the true number of prisoners and workers who lost their lives on Alderney. Additionally, they aimed to dispel any conspiracy theories and misinformation surrounding the island.

The results were released on Wednesday. They revealed that there were more deaths than previously recorded after the liberation, but there was no proof of a "mini-Auschwitz."

The investigation also looked into why the Nazi criminals, many of whom escaped punishment, were never brought to trial in Britain.

The island, spanning three square miles, was under Nazi occupation for the majority of World War II. It housed three forced labor camps and Lager Sylt, a concentration camp.

Even after almost eighty years, traces of the Nazi presence can still be seen on the beautiful island. Bunkers, anti-tank walls, and the infamous Water Lane tunnels, used by the Nazis to store weapons and fuel, serve as reminders of that dark period in history.

Bullet holes where prisoners were executed pierce an anti-tank wall on the island.

Bullet holes where prisoners were executed pierce an anti-tank wall on the island.

Alderney, with a population of just over 2,000, holds a memorial service in May to honor the island's victims, as stated by its tourist board.

Described by Pickles as housing the “most westerly concentration camp in the Third Reich,” questions over the scale of horror that occurred on the island have persisted among locals as well as internationally – and the exact number of dead has never been clear, until now.

The Channel Islands were the only British land the Germans occupied during World War II. Unlike Jersey and Guernsey – the other Nazi-occupied islands – Alderney was evacuated of nearly all of its residents, meaning the island does not have extensive war-time records.

Pickles pointed out that due to the absence of records, there have been unverified claims made about Alderney and the war crimes that occurred there. He emphasized the significance of historical accuracy, particularly in regards to the Holocaust, mentioning that allegations of mass murder have been unquestionably accepted without proper verification.

Accounts of atrocities on Alderney, based on third- or fourth-hand testimonies without evidence, are presented as facts. The events on Alderney were already brutal, sadistic, and murderous without any embellishment needed. This is the unvarnished truth.

After the island was freed from the Nazis, a post-war investigation reported that 389 people had died. However, there has been ongoing debate about this number. Historians, members of the Jewish community, and the public have different estimates, ranging from hundreds to several thousand.

There have been rumors that the British government may have hidden the full extent of what occurred on the island.

However, the inquiry has dismissed these speculations. It concluded that the death toll in Alderney probably did not surpass 1,134, with a more probable range of deaths falling between 641 and 1,027.

Plaques in different languages commemorate the victims of Alderney.

Plaques in different languages commemorate the victims of Alderney.

Carl Court/Getty Images

In addition, at least 97 people died and one disappeared during transit to and from the island.

The panel estimated that between 7,608 and 7,812 prisoners or laborers were sent to Alderney during the German occupation.

According to the inquiry, the camps in Alderney were similar to those in mainland Europe. The laborers endured terrible conditions, worked long hours on dangerous construction projects, and were subjected to beatings, maiming, torture, and even executions.

The inquiry concluded that there is no evidence to support the claim that many thousands of victims died. It also found that the assertions about Alderney being an extermination center and a "mini-Auschwitz" are false.

"Prisoners on Alderney were treated terribly, and life was not valued, but it was not a 'mini-Auschwitz' as some claim. There was no extermination center on the island," Pickles clarified.

He went on to say, "Those who suggest otherwise have likely never been to Auschwitz or truly grasped the horrors of the Nazi death camps in Eastern Europe."

Pickles thinks that exaggerated death tolls from the Nazis can be harmful and support Holocaust deniers. He believes that it is important for the British Isles to tell the whole truth about history, especially when some parts of Europe are trying to erase their involvement in the Holocaust. According to Pickles, it is just as wrong to inflate the number of deaths as it is to downplay them.

He added, “Exaggeration plays into the hands of Holocaust deniers and undermines the six million dead. The truth can never harm us.”

‘Egregious injustice’

A specific part of the investigation looked into the lack of prosecution for war crimes in Alderney, which was referred to as a serious injustice. This was because the British government handed over the case to the Soviet Union after World War II, as most of the victims were Soviet citizens.

Research conducted by academic Anthony Glees, who advises Pickles, revealed that the British government covered up information by giving Alderney's files to the Soviet Union through the United Nations War Crimes Commission on September 12, 1945.

After receiving the evidence, the USSR chose not to take any action, allowing many of the individuals responsible for torture and murder to avoid facing trial.

A German machine gun bunker sits atop a sand dune.

A German machine gun bunker sits atop a sand dune.

Carl Court/Getty Images

Glees believes that this has deliberately been hidden from public view by the British government. He is calling on the government to issue an apology.

"It's hard to believe that Britain, out of all countries, chose not to prosecute Nazi war criminals for the terrible crimes they committed on British soil against people from 30 different nations," he expressed.

"Rather than hold a trial, British authorities handed over all the evidence they had gathered in the 'Alderney Case' to the USSR... even though the USSR did not ask for it and, in doing so, went against Britain's international treaty commitments."

Glee highlighted that the failure to hold trials for Alderney's war criminals has resulted in victims and their families being denied justice.

Pickles expressed his concern, stating that the failure to bring the perpetrators to face British justice reflects poorly on the reputation of various British governments.

Editor's P/S:

The horrors uncovered in Alderney, once a peaceful British island, serve as a chilling reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II. The recent investigation has shed light on the true extent of suffering endured by prisoners and laborers in Nazi camps on British soil. The meticulous research conducted by the UK's Special Envoy for Post Holocaust Issues, Eric Pickles, and his team of experts has dispelled conspiracy theories and provided a more accurate account of the tragic events that unfolded on this small island.

The findings of the investigation have revealed that the death toll in Alderney was likely far lower than previously estimated, with the most probable range falling between 641 and 1,027. However, the inquiry also concluded that the camps in Alderney were similar to those in mainland Europe, where prisoners were subjected to horrific conditions, brutal treatment, and executions. The lack of prosecution for war crimes in Alderney remains a glaring injustice, as many of the perpetrators escaped punishment. The British government's decision to hand over the case to the Soviet Union, which ultimately chose not to take action, has left victims and their families without justice.