Editing History of Guernsey (section)

===World War II===
{{main|German occupation of the Channel Islands}}
For most of [[World War II]], the Bailiwick was [[German occupation of the Channel Islands|occupied by German troops]]. Before the occupation, many Guernsey children had been evacuated to [[England]] to live with relatives or strangers during the war. Some children were never reunited with their families.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11708270 |title=Evacuees from Guernsey recall life in Scotland |work=BBC News |access-date=12 November 2010 |date=12 November 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Guernsey July 2010 Plaque 50.jpg|thumb|Plaque to the memory of Guernsey civilians killed, particularly in the 28 June 1940 bombing raid]]
The occupying German forces deported some of the Bailiwick's residents to camps in the southwest of Germany, notably to the ''Lager Lindele'' (Lindele Camp) near [[Biberach an der Riß]]. Among those deported was Ambrose (later Sir Ambrose) Sherwill, who, as the President of the States Controlling Committee, was ''[[de facto]]'' head of the civilian population. Sir Ambrose, who was Guernsey-born, had served in the [[British Army]] during the [[First World War]] and later became [[Bailiff of Guernsey]]. Three islanders of Jewish descent were deported to France and from there to [[Auschwitz]] where they were killed in [[The Holocaust]].<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.thisisguernsey.com/2005/07/09/i-escaped-the-nazi-holocaust/|title= I escaped the Nazi Holocaust|date= 9 July 2005|publisher= www.thisisguernsey.com|access-date= 24 February 2013|archive-date= 9 June 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110609183004/http://www.thisisguernsey.com/2005/07/09/i-escaped-the-nazi-holocaust/|url-status= dead}}</ref> In [[Alderney]], four camps were built to house forced labourers, mostly from Eastern Europe, two were handed for the [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] to run. They were the only concentration camps run on British soil and are commemorated on memorials under Alderney's French name ''Aurigny''.

Occupation laws were enforced by the German garrison. For example, rewards were offered to informants who reported anyone for painting [[V sign|"V-for Victory" sign]]s on walls and buildings; a practice that had become popular among islanders wishing to express their loyalty to Britain.<ref>{{cite book |first=Barry |last=Turner |title=Outpost of Occupation: The Nazi Occupation of the Channel Islands, 1940-1945 |date=April 2011 |publisher=Aurum Press (1 April 2011) |isbn=978-1845136222}}</ref>{{rp|173}}

Guernsey was very heavily fortified during World War II out of all proportion to the island's strategic value, for example four captured vintage Russian [[Obukhovskii 12-inch/52-caliber Pattern 1907 gun|305mm naval guns]] were installed at [[Batterie Mirus]].<ref name="TLR">{{cite book |last=Fowler |first= Will |title=The Last Raid: The Commandos, Channel Islands and Final Nazi Raid |year= 2016 |publisher=The History Press Ltd |isbn=978-0750966375}}</ref><ref name="nvo.ng.ru">{{cite web |url=http://nvo.ng.ru/history/2009-04-24/14_canons.html |title=Русские пушки на службе германского вермахта |publisher=NVO.ng.ru |date=24 April 2009 |access-date=31 May 2011}}</ref> German defences and alterations remain visible, including additions made to [[Castle Cornet]] and a [[Windmills in the Channel Islands|windmill]]. [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] had become obsessed with the idea that the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] would try to regain the islands at any price, so over 20 per cent of the materials used to construct the "[[Atlantic Wall]]" (the Nazi attempt to defend continental Europe from seaborne invasion) was committed to the Channel Islands, including 47,000 [[Cubic metre|cu&nbsp;m]] of concrete used for gun bases.<ref name="nvo.ng.ru"/> Most of the German fortifications remain intact and although the majority of them stand on private property, several are open to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ciosjersey.org.uk/Intro1.htm |title=Channel Islands Occupation Society (Jersey) |publisher=CIOS Jersey |access-date=10 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013073622/http://ciosjersey.org.uk/Intro1.htm |archive-date=13 October 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.occupied.guernsey.net/fortifications.htm |title=Fortifications |publisher=CIOS Guernsey |access-date=10 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013121322/http://occupied.guernsey.net/fortifications.htm |archive-date=13 October 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Starvation threatened the Island in late 1944 after the German forces were cut off and supplies could not be brought in from France. The [[SS Vega (1913)|SS ''Vega'']], chartered by the [[International Committee of the Red Cross|Red Cross]], brought [[Red Cross parcel|Red Cross food parcels]] and other essential supplies into the Island.<ref name="BRC">{{cite web |url= http://www.redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who-we-are/Museum-and-archives/Historical-factsheets/Channel-Islands-relief-in-the-Second-World-War |title= Delivering relief to the Channel Islands in the Second World War |publisher= British red Cross |access-date= 9 January 2016 |archive-date= 21 August 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170821143447/http://www.redcross.org.uk/About-us/Who-we-are/Museum-and-archives/Historical-factsheets/Channel-Islands-relief-in-the-Second-World-War |url-status= dead }}</ref>

The Island was liberated on 9 May 1945.