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Sky documentary to investigate Alderney Nazi atrocities

Sky documentary to investigate Alderney Nazi atrocities

Tuesday 08 October 2024

Sky documentary to investigate Alderney Nazi atrocities

Tuesday 08 October 2024


A new documentary is set to examine Nazi atrocities committed in Alderney during the Second World War and the 80-year cover-up that followed, following an official inquiry that revealed the true extent of the death toll in the island.

'Hitler’s British Island', a two-part Sky History series, will premiere on Tuesday 15 October.

The documentary, which features testimonies from victims' families, will investigate the atrocities committed on British soil and examine why those responsible were never prosecuted.

8_Jewish_graves_in_Longis_Common_cemetery_AUO_ARC_022_M_ALDERNEYMUSEUM_1988_142_CL.jpg

Pictured: Longis Common is the site of the former prisoner cemetery in Alderney.

Alderney, the northernmost of the Channel Islands, was occupied by Nazi forces from 1940 to 1945 and became a heavily fortified stronghold. 

During this time, the SS established the only two concentration camps on British soil, where prisoners of war, Jews, and forced labourers were subject to brutal conditions. 

Despite clear evidence of war crimes, none of the Nazi officers stationed in Alderney were ever prosecuted. 

Sylt_concentration_camp_entrance_Alderney_AUO_PRESS-STILL_040_PS-SYLT3_copy.jpg

Pictured: Sylt concentration camp entrance in Alderney.

The documentary explores how political manoeuvring between Britain and the Soviet Union after the war allowed those responsible to escape justice.

The release of the documentary comes in the wake of a UK government report published in May that concluded that the death toll in Alderney was significantly higher than previously thought. 

The report, conducted by the Alderney Expert Review Panel, estimated that between 641 and 1,027 individuals died during the German occupation – roughly twice the number previously thought. 

Borkum_labour_camp_entrance_gates_Alderney_AUO_PRESS-STILL_032_BORKRUM.jpg

Pictured: Borkum labour camp entrance gates in Alderney.

It concluded that successive UK governments had covered up the true extent of suffering and deaths on British soil.

'Hitler’s British Island' was produced by Andy Webb, and supported by journalists Martin Bright and Antony Barnett.

It will will air on Sky HISTORY and is available on Sky 123, NOW, and Virgin 131.

READ MORE... 

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