Britain Under the Nazis: The Forgotten Occupation – A Powerful Look at a Dark Chapter in British History

By Jon Donnis

To mark 80 years since the liberation of the Channel Islands, Channel 4 is set to air Britain Under the Nazis: The Forgotten Occupation, a gripping documentary that explores one of the most controversial periods of British history. Using first-hand accounts from those who lived through it, the film brings to life the impossible choices faced by the 69,000 islanders left behind when Britain abandoned the islands to Nazi rule in June 1940. Through previously unseen diaries, letters and memoirs, given voice by actors for the first time, the documentary provides an intimate and unflinching portrait of life under occupation. Leading historians Gilly Carr and Louise Willmot offer expert insight, backed by newly unearthed documents that cast fresh light on a largely forgotten period of British fascism.

The Nazis saw the occupation of Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney as a major propaganda victory, swiftly turning the islands into a fortress bristling with military defences. But what began as a so-called "model occupation" quickly descended into a brutal reality of antisemitic persecution, mass deportations, informants, starvation and forced labour camps. Unlike other wartime atrocities, there was no formal investigation into what took place, leaving wounds that still divide island communities today. Emily Shields, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, describes the documentary as a mesmerising portrait of life under enemy rule, capturing the conflicting experiences and perspectives of those who lived through it. Britain Under the Nazis: The Forgotten Occupation promises to be a powerful and thought-provoking examination of an overlooked chapter in Britain's wartime history.