Enemy at the Door

The Channel Islands were the only British territories to be invaded by Nazi Germany during WWII due it's proximity to occupied France and Channel Islanders suffered hardships because of wartime shortages and brutal Nazi regulations. British troops did not attempt to stage a landing until the official German declaration of surrender in May 1945 (to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties) although RAF reconnaissance planes flew over photographing the islands and British propaganda leaflet drops on the islands occurred towards the end of the occupation to try and demoralize the Germans. Although the German occupying force put up little or no resistance to the British landing expedition, the German C/O refused to hand over control when asked for a formal surrender and was subsequently thrown into a police cell overnight until he changed his mind and accepted the war was over.