Report into Alderney Nazi camps to be added to Jersey Archive

Wednesday 09 June 2021

A digital copy of a harrowing British intelligence report on the crimes committed against Jewish and Russian prisoners in Alderney during the Second World War is to be made available at Jersey Archive.

The ‘Pantcheff report’ was a 1945 investigation by Captain Theodore Pantcheff into mass brutality in the camps, recording the deaths of at least 337 people sent to the island by the German forces.

However, the report notes that it "cannot definitely be stated that the total figure of 337 graves necessarily represents the total number of foreigners dead on the island” - later, in a book detailing his experiences, Mr Pantcheff acknowledged this tally was a "minimum conclusion."

Pictured: A digital version of the report has now been made available to Jersey Archive.

It is believed that more than 6,000 people of 27 nationalities were taken to Alderney during the period.

During their time there, Pantcheff’s interviews with multiple witnesses illustrated a regime of brutality, “arbitrary beatings,” starvation and systemic death.

In a particularly harrowing note illustrating the treatment of workers, Pantcheff outlined how “workers were beaten for the most trivial offences, against the harsh regulations, such as failure to execute a drill movement properly, or endeavouring to acquire extra food from the garbage pail.

“On occasions workers were beaten for no reason at all. The beatings were carried out by uniformed German OT NCOs and officers, on all parts of the victims’ body, with the fist, foot, stick, piece of hose or other weapon.”

The report recently came to prominence after it was highlighted in an investigation by the Sunday Times following an article by Jewish heritage trail JTrails founder, Marcus Roberts, published by AYNews, which claimed it had been ‘long-buried’ for many years in Britain.

However, it has been pointed out by archaeologist and International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance member Dr Gilly Carr, that the document has in fact “been open access in London for over a decade.”

Everyone in Guernsey and Jersey: you'll be pleased to hear that a digital copy of the full Pantcheff report and all appendices have now been sent to Guernsey and Jersey Archives. This is the version that has been open access in London for over a decade.????

— Dr Gilly Carr (@CarrGilly) June 7, 2021

Despite this, the re-emergence of the report has bolstered the idea of a memorial for the victims on the island - something which Mr Roberts highlights in his own analysis of the report.

“It further highlights and strengthens the argument for an official Holocaust Memorial on Alderney, as it is not just be a question of memory, but as a tacit admission to a miscarriage of justice by the British authorities in their failure to prosecute Holocaust crimes on British soil,” he noted. 

“The Pantcheff Report also gives a compelling answer as to the best site for the memorial — from the former Jewish prisoners themselves. 

“When Captain Kent visited the ‘Russian Cemetery’ he noted that, ‘on the west side immediately after entering, there was an area of rough grass about 5 yards by 17 yards, where weeds were flourishing together with a few garden flowers.

“Richter explained that this was part of the ground cultivate by the Jewish workers in memory of their friends who are buried immediately adjacent.’ This must be the site of an official Holocaust Memorial.”

Pictured: Mr Roberts said that Alderney should have an official Holocaust Memorial site.

Speaking about a copy of the report being made accessible to islanders, Jersey Heritage’s Director of Archives and Collections Linda Romeril said: “The Pantcheff Report has been available for people to view at the UK National Archives in London for some time but we are grateful to have been given a digital version to add to our archive collection about this important time in the history of the Channel Islands. 

“The digital report includes interviews with key players in Jersey at the time of the Occupation and is now available to view by appointment at Jersey Archive. 

“The digital report has also been published online by the UK’s Centre of Archaeology. These new options are both free of charge and especially helpful at a time when travel off the Island is still affected by the ongoing pandemic.”

Click HERE to search Jersey Archive's collections.