History
Adolf Hitler ordered for geological surveys of the Channel Islands as early as June 2, 1941, and issued an order on October 20, 1941, for fortifications to be built, as he forecasted small-scale liberation efforts by the Allies as a stepping stone to Europe. Hitler himself stated that the strength of the defences would be based on the Western Wall. Organization Todt would take to building the Atlantic Wall, and by the spring of 1943, at least 260,000 men were forced to work on fortifications on the Channel Islands. At least 100 of those men died on Alderney alone in concentration camps, forts like The Odeon, and bunkers. When liberation came around, Alderney was liberated well after V-E Day, and after the liberation of Jersey and Guernsey on May 9, 1945. Alderney was liberated on the 16th, and on the 20th, 2,332 German POWs were taken away from the island. [1] Many of the German soldiers stationed at the Odeon, Fort Doyle, or Lager Sylt during the occupation enjoyed the island, and some even caught lobster, played football (soccer) on the Butes, and painted murals in the barracks and homes they were based in. The rations for the troops on the Odeon and other forts were cooked and prepared at Fort Tourgis before being shipped by way of cart to the forts on the island. [2]
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