An inquiry into the deaths of hundreds of people in Nazi camps on the British island of Alderney has found that a “succession of cover-ups” meant nobody was brought to justice. The report, commissioned by Lord Pickles, discovered that 641-1,027 people died under the “brutality, sadism and murder” of Nazi rule. It noted that the Holocaust was “part of Alderney’s history”, while the lack of war trials was a “stain on the reputations of successive British governments”.
The review, which used a “wealth of archival information”, reported that while a definitive list of names of those who died in Alderney was “impossible to achieve”, experts said they have created a “master database”. The lack of justice was “intimately linked” to the prisoner-of-war breakout in Stalag Luft III’s Great Escape, the panel found.
During World War Two, the Channel Islands were occupied by Germany and in Alderney, four forced labour camps were built, which were used to build strong concrete fortifications to defend the coastline of Europe. Lager Sylt, the camp taken over by the SS in 1943, was described as “criminal and brutal”, but the report found that the camps were not guided by the principle of “extermination through labour”.
The report includes “detailed information” about convoys of Jews deported from France and the number of Spaniards, Channel Islanders, German political prisoners, as well as French, Belgians and North Africans sent to Alderney. The review found three cemeteries were used to bury labourers who died, including the Longy Common cemetery, St Anne cemetery and the German military cemetery.
Lord Pickles said the report would pave the way to “accurately remember” the individuals who so tragically suffered and died on British soil. Prof Anthony Glees, a special advisor to the panel who was tasked with looking into the lack of war crimes trials, has called on the UK Government to apologise over the cover up. The UK’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities said: “A full and honest account of what happened on the Nazi occupied island of Alderney will provide dignity and justice for those who suffered and died – and ensure we never forget.”
The Russian government has not yet commented on the report
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