In the December 2021 Journal on page 30 I can now show the obverse of the Chausey postcard with a message relevant to the Belgian camp holding some 300 to 800 German POWs from time to time. A fuller article appeared in the March Journal on page 32 submitted by our member Geoff Corey providing more information on these camps.
Henri has also sent a very attractive and interesting April 1942 Guernsey Occupation ‘returned item’ depicted on the next page which was refused and has some relevant markings which he would like more information on.
I recently submitted an article as at heading above to our Society Editor only to be advised that I had been beaten to the post by Barrie Mudie with his article ‘The Commando who came back a Spy’ which was published in the March Journal on page 29 onwards. I am sure this must be a rare such occasion as my own article followed the acquisition of a Prisoner of War postcard shown below similar to those illustrated in Barrie’s article.
When Lieut’s Nicolle and Symes, both Guernseymen, went into hiding they were helped by friends and relatives. During this time Major Ambrose Shervill, Guernsey Attorney General and President of the Controlling Committee was informed of the situation and reached agreement with the Germans that any personnel of the British Armed Forces in hiding on the Island should surrender and would be treated as prisoners of war and no measures would be taken against any of their relatives.
They surrendered in uniform on the 21st October. Unfortunately on the date of surrender the German Commandant, Major Bandelow, was on leave and Nicolle, Symes and thirteen* relatives were imprisoned in Cherche Midi Prison in Paris. Lieuts’ Nicolle and Symes were sentenced to death by firing squad. Major Bandelow and the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Co. Graf von Schmettow successfully argued the case for keeping their promise in the name of military honour. Nicole and Symes were sent to POW camps and their relatives returned to Guernsey. Both men eventually returned to live in Guernsey at the end of the war.
A second definitive raid, code named Operation Basalt, took place on the 3rd October 1942 on the Island of Sark.
The Führer was furious that this successful raid resulted in the deaths of German soldiers who had surrendered and had their hands bound and were later shot whilst trying to break free. This led to the issue of the Commando Order (Kommandobefehl) on the 18th October 1942. Hitler stated “From now on all men operating against German troops in so called Commando raids in Europe or in Africa, are to be annihilated to the last man.” This applied to Commandos in or out of uniform. Some German officers, most notably Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, ignored the Order. This Order was signed by Colonel General Alfred Jodl, Chief of Operations Staff at the German Armed Forces High Command throughout the war. His signing of the Commando Order and also the Commissar Order sealed his fate at the Nuremberg Trials and he was hanged on the 16th October 1946.
*Depends on printed source.
After two years of Covid-19 lockdown, finally we were able to hold our annual Member’s Weekend at the Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough. Thank you to the twenty-six members and guests who were able to attend and for making the weekend so enjoyable. Thanks also to all those members providing such excellent displays, much not seen before. Plans are in progress for the 2023 Member’s Weekend at the Peninsula Hotel, Guernsey and I hope to see many of you there – 21st to 23rd April.
Our next Member’s Meeting is the Annual General Meeting at the Royal Philatelic Society, London. Minutes of the 70th Annual General Meeting can be found in Les Iles Normandes Volume 40, No. 1, pp 30-33. If any member wishes to stand for any of the Committee positions, can they forward me their name, the name of their proposer and name of the seconder no later than two weeks before the A.G.M. The same also applies if any member wishes to raise any questions for any of the Committee to answer giving the committee member concerned adequate time to provide an answer at the A.G.M. It is anticipated that the A.G.M. itself will be held via Zoom, thus allowing more members to participate in the event. More details will be available closer to the date of the A.G.M., so please keep a lookout on the Society’s website (www.ciss.uk) for further information.
Please note, that it was decided by the Executive Committee to move the December Member’s Meeting to the last Saturday in November to try and improve attendances at this Member’s Meeting.
Forthcoming Member’s Meetings for 2022
| 9th July | Annual General Meeting followed by members’ displays |
| 24th September | Member’s Meeting.
Theme: Smaller Channel Islands |
| 26th November* | Member’s Meeting.
Theme: Letters T, U and/or V |
Congratulations to Jon Aitchison FRPSL who was awarded a Large Vermeil at London 2022 for his exhibits Egypt Cassette Posts and Isle of Man Local Issues (Literature).
Also to Nick Martin FRPSL who was awarded a Vermeil for his exhibit Belgapost 2018 (Literature) and a Silver for the Website of the Belgian Philatelic Study Circle (Literature) and to our President, Gerald Marriner FRPSL who was awarded a Large Vermeil at HUNFLEX, Budapest for his exhibit German Occupation of The Channel Islands – Disruption to the Mail Service.
