THE CHANNEL ISLANDS 1940-1945 [Main Title]

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  • Title: THE CHANNEL ISLANDS 1940-1945 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: UKY 727
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: "Incidents dealing with the German Occupation are re-enacted by the Channel Islanders themselves."
  • Description: Opens with a boat secretly launched to England: "tell them we're having a tough time but the German can't get us down" sets the theme for film. Islanders are shown coping with shortage of food and clothing, transport difficulties; resistance to Germans (listening to BBC, clandestine news sheets (GUNS Guernsey Underground News Service), GPO workers suppress informing letters); some impression of effects of occupation (German soldiers and SPG's; fortifications; talk of 'slave labour'; closed down and derelict greenhouses, shops). Last days of the occupation: increasing shortages; Germans steal food after second visit of Red Cross ship Vega. Liberation: Islanders celebrate, enjoy unaccustomed abundance of food and clothing, start up "normal life" again; Germans put to work clearing mines, wire etc - Russian workers receive 'Pravda'.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1945
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information (Production sponsor) Crown Film Unit (Production company) Bryant, Gerard (Production individual) Wright, Basil19071987 (Production individual) Jones, Jonah (Production individual) Jackson, Jocelyn (Production individual) Pine, Diana (Production individual) Darnton, Christian (Production individual) Cameron, Ken (Production individual) Mathieson, Muir (Production individual) Buck, Dusty (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords: administration, German - occupation (object name) celebrations, British - liberation: Channel Islands (object name) journalism and record, Russian - press: Pravda (object name) prisoners of war, German - labour (object name) propaganda, British - inspirational (object name) reconstruction, British (object name) ships, British civilian - assistance: Vega (object name) society, British - history (object name) GB, Channel Islands (geography) Deprivation (concept)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 2 Footage: 1450 ft; Running time: 16 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Remarks: perhaps inevitably, the 'occupation' sequence is laboured, almost flat - 'liberation' is better. Vindictive commentary - eg, on Germans clearing barbed wire "no-one suggested giving them gloves." Documentation/associated material: COI file - shotlist, script, music cue sheet
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    UKY 727

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
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