An “extraordinary and rare” document outlining Britain’s military plan to liberate the Channel Islands has been sold at auction for thousands of pounds.
The top-secret ‘Operation Nestegg’ plans, which contained details about the British forces’ mission to “occupy the islands of Guernsey and Jersey as nearly simultaneously as possible”, went under the hammer at the Hansons Auctioneers’ sale in Derby yesterday.
The document was found among the possessions of Royal Naval sub-lieutenant Walter Page.
Described as “extraordinary and rare”, it had a guide price of £800 to £1,200 and sold for £3,800 (£4,780 including auction fees) to a bidder in Surrey.
Hansons Auctioneers’ militaria expert, Matt Crowson, said: “It was a great result, with bids online and in the room, and the vendor was delighted. The document is an important piece of military and social history from a tumultuous time.”
He continued: “The liberation of the Channel Islands ended five years of Nazi German occupation, and signified freedom for its inhabitants, and the end of the hardships endured, including shortages of food, restrictions of movement, and fear of what awaited ahead.”
Mr Crowson added: “The archive encapsulates the British Government’s determination and resolve to claim back the only part of the British Isles occupied by German forces in WWII.
“It deservedly proved to be one of the star lots on the day, and shows the growing popularity of good and unusual WWII items at auction.”
Other copies of the wartime papers exist, including ones held by private collectors in Guernsey, the Jersey Archive, the National Archives at Kew and the National Archives and Records Administration in America.