Marooned & Forgotten German Garrison 1945
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 9 апр 2023
- When WWII ended in Europe, a German garrison on a tiny island were forgotten about and left in their positions - this is the strange story of the German garrison on The Minkees, one of the last in Europe to surrender.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
Help support my channel:
www.paypal.me/markfeltonprodu...
/ markfeltonproductions
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Hannes2; Harry Holmes; Paul Lakeman; Valerie McGlinchey
![Natanael Cano - Ya Te Olvidé [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xLig8I91SJQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Probably the luckiest location for a German garrison throughout the war.
was just thinking the same thing. not even any locals to worry about that might be resistance members.
Definitely a good option. Not all good though... just imagine the tedium
Or be placed in some rural town in Norway and never see action
@@wm9346 From what I've heard, the German officers at Priest Lake had it pretty good...
It could be worse...you could have been on the Eastern Front...
Probably one of the more laid back and relaxing garrison in the war for the Germans
Hope they had a lot of chess sets and board games and cards to while a way the time.
@@389383 They played on their Reich-Phones.
@@captainpoppleton Good one, dude!
That's what I was thinking. I hope discipline was relaxed a bit. Maybe they got in some good fishing.
Slightly preferable to the Russian front!
Hans: “What did you do during the war Grandpa?”
Grandpa: “Walks on the beach, swimming, snorkelling and a little bit of fishing. We once shot at our own side who were in a stolen landing craft. That was a bit embarrassing. I got the medal for courage for when I slipped over on rocks while collecting seashells.”
Yah, sounds like they served out the War at Club Med!
Grandpa it’s just joking or being humble in a way. He may not want you to feel how terrible about the situation of the war. Because when he’s gone, he’ll left you with hope, understanding, love and peaceful life. He did it more likely also to avoid hatred.
At some point those Germans realized they were Blessed to be bypassed by the War...
@andrewcombe8907 Jersey has huge tides, at low water Jersey's land mass increases by about a quarter. I worked with a girl from Jersey and she told me that during the war a group of German soldiers went exploring the uncovered rocks looking for shellfish, crabs etc. Unfortunately for them they were new to Jersey, didn't know about the huge tides and went out too far. The tide came racing back in and all the Germans were drowned, about four or five in number.
@@williamarcamo7588 That reminds me of a story my Dad told me. He served in the 1960s; and was the new Sergeant in a unit full of WW2 Vet NCOs. One day a few of them were talking, and a couple of the WW2 guys - Who had been in the Hurtgen Forest Battle together - Were talking about a time they found an abandoned German truck full of Sausage, Cheese and Bread. My Dad said "Man, I wish I'd been there with you guys for that one!"
He never forgot their response. "No, you don't."
My (German) grandfather was part of the occupation troops on Jersey and Guernsey from 1941 to 1945. Although we used to talk a lot about this, he never mentioned these small islands. Interesting episode, thanks!
A good possibility is he never knew they existed. Very few Britons know about them.
Your (Nazi) grandfather lived far too long.
@@binaway yeah if its over the horizon, no reason to find out about really
Of course not,they lost,poor germans.
Kellyflyin
No one else but Dr. Felton could make the most obscure part of the European theater so interesting. Cheers and thank you.
He's good but the subject matter is interesting so plenty of others could teach it.
Garrison callsign decrypted by Enigma as, "Hey, Hey, it's the Minkeeys"...in the voice of Michael Caine, "No' many people dat."
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
I read up on the occupation and surrender of the Channel Islands some years ago and I did read about the Germans left on the Minkees. I thought it odd that the Germans could spare the manpower to occupy a reef that had no strategic value but this video goes into a bit more depth and the reason to occupy the reef. When I read about it is said the Germans were starving and pleaded with French fishermen to tell the British they were there so they could surrender. This video puts a different slant on that. Despite being told that Germany had surrendered the Germans ordered the French to take them off the reef. If I had been the French I think I would have left them there but then I suppose the Germans did have weapens.
7:10 Very glad to know that, even after the worst war in human history, the British weren't about to let some extremely obscure islands slip away to the French.
Unlike the Canadians
Indeed, the sovereignty of the Minkies ended up being taken to the International Court of Justice that, after consulting with documents of recent and even as far back as medieval manuscripts, concluded that the islands indeed belonged to Jersey and not the French! But was still involved in many further disputes with the French over sovereignty and fishing rights regardless.
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography Genghis Khan, the Romans and the Ottomans would agree with you.
@@NorseNorman Then very similar to the dispute Spain and Portugal have about the Savage Islands
@@MaxwellAerialPhotography you appear to have mistaken the facts.
The English owned the Islands AND had a claim to the landmass known as France. In exchange for giving up the claim to the French throne (which was NOT a popular idea back then) the French agreed that England would keep the islands they ALREADY OWNED.
They didn't 'grab' anything. It was part of the inheritance of the English throne.
Ensuring the French didn't steal the islands in contravention of the more over 800 year old agreement is an obvious and understandable action.
I grew up at La Rocque beach in Jersey facing the Minkies. The wall at our property was made with German concrete, and German officers were billeted during the occupation in what would become our house. A twin MG42 was placed on top of a nearby Martello tower, and there was a French tank turret on the very end of La Rocque pier. As a kid in 1960 I remember finding bullets around a nearby bunker. The Minkies and other groups of rocks in the ocean around the Channel Islands make the area especially lethal for shipping, and the hundreds of wrecks attest to this lethality. Thanks to Mark Felton for this fascinating and little known war story!
there's so many stories. it's amazing. you'll never run out of material.
The stories often forgotten garrisons or abandon forces are often incredibly fascinating and speak more about individuals than the field of battle.
Thank god the Royal Marines were able to recover that dunny for His Royal Majesty King George VI. Having to use a pissoir instead doesn't bear thinking about.
There is still a forgotten German garrison posted to my shed in 1944. I bring in some supplies on weekends.
On 23 May 1945, three weeks after the end of the war in Europe, a French fishing boat, skippered by Lucian Marie, approached the island of Minquiers and anchored nearby when a German soldier approached him saying, "We've been forgotten by the British, perhaps no one on Jersey told them we were here, I want you to take us over to England, we want to surrender", as reported by Charles Whiting. (1973). _The end of the war; Europe: April 15-May 23, 1945._ New York: Stein and Day. p. 168.
Which the skipper replied, "Do you have money?".
Whiting wasn't entirely accurate regarding the conversation, according to documents I've seen.
@@MarkFeltonProductions Okay.
@@knife-wieldingspidergod5059es. But, I'm not paying until we get to the other side. 😊
Newspapers 😂😂
Titanic refurned to Southampton Newyork Times april 15th 1912
I worked with a woman who was child on Jersey during the German occupation. The Luftwaffe had an antiaircraft gun set up in the lower part of their garden. Needless to say, the gun's firing made sleeping rather difficult. Initially, the islanders lived basically the same as before the war, but as the tide turned against Germany, supplies became fewer and fewer, and food became fairly scarce for the last 18 months or so.
I am French and know the Normandy coast well facing the islands. In the late 1980s, in a public park in Berlin, I happened to have a conversation with an old gentleman who told me that during the war he was in garrison on Jersey or Guernsey (I'm not sure anymore) and that After the Allied landings, he experienced food shortages: according to his words, with his comrades, they only had apples to eat and were sick (dysentery). Well, it's just an anecdote. Cordially.
"made sleeping rather difficult" hahahaha, british understatement at its best:))))
I can't understand how France made an alliance with a sworn enemy. The British fought for hundreds of years and joined those pigs who even took away the islands that should have been French.
So Fritz can shoot but he can't fish?
Indeed! And after D Day quite uncomfortable for the German Garrisons as supplies could not get through from the mainland.
The citizens started receiving Red Cross parcels and at the end the German troops were going hungry.
The group of people that really suffered were the forced labourers billeted on the Islands who , under fear of being shot by the Germans, had to forage in the fields or beg for food from civilians.
If you want a good read "Hitler's British Isles" by Duncan Barrett - Might not be the most comprehensive tome but easy and engaging to read.
Covers a lot of personal stories of people and families involved including what happened after the war.
Some quite touching stories concerning Islanders and German occupiers that fell in love including one couple that later married.
I'm a big fan of history and thought I knew all there was to know about WW2, but this was surprising new history I was unaware of! At 50 years of age I'm still learning new things! Thank you Mark!
One thing this channel has taught me is that its impossible to know everything about ww2. There's probably still a lot Mark doesnt know as well. It feels like there are still new stories being told every year
Is there no end to the talent, dedication and effort that Dr Felton brings us?
Thank-you, for yet another fascinating new story, for myself at least.
I lived on Jersey for almost ten years and knew nothing about this! Well done and thank you doctor felton.
Living behind the moon..
😂
No, there is no end.
HES A FORCE!!!
Props to Dr. Mark for teleporting back in time just to ensure this educational channel is 110% scientifically accurate
Say my name.....
Imagine his frequent flyer miles from such travels!
i enjoy your work
99.1% scientifically accurate
That sounds like a great interview on Coast to Coast AM.
Mark, when you said Minkees, all I could think of was Peter Sellers! Thanks for all you do, Sir!
Me too!😅😅
Me the same John.😂
I was born in Guernsey, and while I learnt a lot from the various exhibits and stories from islanders who lived through the occupation, it amazes me how you still find these small extremely instresting tidbits regarding the story of the channel islands in WW2, fantastic video, Mark!
Really great history
Theres a story about a german soldier who was stationed in sark during the war, he was a medic or medical officer and was called to a girls house, She was an english girl and could speak fluent german, he was obviously smitten and fell in love there and then, they got married after the war and they grew old together it was a rather sweet story
Could i get more info about this lovely story?
@@kettlehat376 yes of course, it was part of a documentary I watched yesterday actually il try and find it to link it to you it was very touching and the entire documentary was indeed very interesting aswell
@@kettlehat376 ruclips.net/video/JR7v8114XOc/видео.html here you are, my grandfather was stationed here before the war and evacuated before the Germans invaded, so obviously I saw this documentary and took an interest, I’m Irish but to see British street, police officers with German escorts and the Wehrmacht marching down the streets was very jarring
Could i get that link as well?
@Blackfyre
I find the history of the channel Islands during the war fascinating. Thanks for the video !
Yeah, I think Timeline did an episode on them.
I still have plenty of family in the Channel Islands and some of the stories are quite epic.
He is doing british propaganda. Germany is always bad in your version of the story. 2015 we took your refugees in our homes.
Hope he does more about jersey as it’s my home
@@maginotline7490 Visited with my wife a few years ago. We had a great time and if there weren't 100s of other places we would like to see, we wouldn't hesitate to go back. We went to the various war museums and learned a lot. The island and its history is fascinating and the people very nice.
Britains most southerly building is a lavvy facing France! Only you could point that historically correct fact out so beautifully Dr Felton. Thank you for sharing your brilliant research on so many aspects. Best channel on the whole internet and always something new learned.
Once again, an excellent bit of forgotten history brought forward. Thanks Mark.
Yet another unknown WWII story so well told it's worth a movie
I've always had a particular fascination with the Channel Islands during the war but today is the first I've heard of the Minkees. I shall certainly do some digging into that. Thank you.
For a good book set on and around the Minkies, check out The Wreck of the Mary Deare, by Hammond Innes. It's probably my all-time favorite novel.
@@andrewvanatta1569 Thank you. I'll check it out!
Micky Dolenz with the chin.
Mark I've attempted several times personally over the last 10 years or so to visit the Minkies but each time am met with armed Wehrmacht personnel. Little has changed and it's growing frustrating
The outhouse-too funny! The difference between the small German garrison and cutoff Japanese troops in the Pacific: as soon as they heard that the war was over, they said “Let’s get the hell out of here and surrender!
Leave it to Professor Felton to do an excellent job informing his students on ALL facets of WW2! 👍
Another story I've never heard about before, great work ❤
History lost, but never forgotten by you Mark Felton ...always incredible and always "the best of the best".......ty Mark Felton
This history is so important. Thank you for all the hard work bringing this to us. Thank you for preserving history
I was wondering if you've heard of Battle of Varolampi Pond, or as it is nicknamed, the 'Sausage War'. There isn't much material to go off, but summarize, Soviet troops attacked Finnish rear which left their field kitchens as they retreated, the starved Soviets proceeded to ignore their orders and just eating the sausage rations, which in turn enabled Finnish counter-offensive. In a twisted way, it really spoke of the Soviet soldiers' conditions of WW2.
I assume the Finns adopted this as a standard tactic? "Sergeant, draw 100 sausages from stores and stage a diversion on the left flank."
That battle was during the Winter War in Dec '39, before the Soviets entered WW2. An interesting war where the Russians decided to invade one of their smaller neighbors, but ended up suffering horrendous losses, similar to their invasion of Ukraine today. Their justification for starting the war was similar to the one Putin used to attack Ukraine.
Every army had its bad moments and situations. The Red Army wasnt the IJA, they were most of the times well equiped, but the cold war propaganda and books would paint them as eternal miserable and starved slaves
@@pagodebregaeforro2803 Soviets were well equipped during the Winter War of 1939 in terms of weaponry and military vehicles. Having some 100 TIMES more tanks than Finland. However the tactics used in Finland by Soviets were outdated and relied too heavily on roads, which Finnish soldiers would often ambush, this is one of the reasons having such an advantage with tanks didn't bring Soviets an edge over Finland. That being said, some Soviet soldiers lacked winter clothing and went without eating for long periods of time, it is estimated that thousands of Soviets froze to death. But, the biggest reason why the Winter War went so poorly for Soviets was low morale and Stalin having had purged his high ranking officers prior to the conflict.
Relatives from Ostrobothnia in Finland described how as children on their way home after school they passed a prison camp with Russian prisoners of war and they felt so sorry for the starving Russians that they threw them some pieces of bread, which they gratefully received and immediately ate.
I first heard of the minquiers in the movie "The Wreck of The Mary Deare". The Wreck of the Mary Deare is a 1959 Metrocolor British-American thriller film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Gary Cooper and Charlton Heston, and featuring Michael Redgrave, Cecil Parker, Richard Harris and John Le Mesurier. Its a great movie.
based on a novel by Hammond Innis.
It is a book adapted to a movie. Hammond Innes from memory
I read the book - the author has a vivid imagination. How he thinks one man, alone on a steamship with no autopilot, can have a little steer then nip down to the boiler room to throw a few shovelfuls of coal into the furnaces then nip back up top for another little steer, and keep repeating this performance is beyond me.
Wonderful to have an eloquent speaker on a Mark Felton Production at last! Thank you.
Trust Dr. Felton to drop another excellent historic video right as I sit down for dinner!
If those walls could talk.
I remember a british TV series called "Enemy at the Door", chronicling the occupation of the channel islands. Excellent actors. I remember particularly the guy who played Reinicke, the ss officer, now deceased. Great actors all of them. I wonder why they never became super famous.
I vaguely remember a sitcom as well called 'Owner Occupied' on ITV, which I recalled reading about but never watched. IMDB says it was about a channel islands hotel that carries on regardless with it's business after the occupation. I can find very little info about it. Looks like it was a pilot episode that never went to series.
I watched this series as well, excellent series
Simon Cadell was the ss officer, died of cancer age 46.
There was another TV drama series about 20 years ago about the occupation of the Channel Islands. If I remember what it was called I'll be back . . .
@@ray.shoesmith Thanks for that, what an intriguing premise for a show.
Another piece of forgotten but fascinating history. Thank you Mark ❤️.
This is undoubtedly one of your best, Mark! Thanks.
I stayed in The Minkees when I got married in Jersey 10 years ago. By which I mean I stayed in the penthouse in St. Brelards named after The Minkees. In fact, I think the real Minkees were just about visible on the horizon when it was low tide. Jersey is a great place, and extra interesting for those who enjoy history with some fascinating museums.
Best history channel on yoochoob by a very wide margin. I've never watched an episode without learning something about a period I've been reading about for the better part of 40 years. Thanks Dr Felton!
"I've mastered the art of standing so incredibly still that I become invisible to the eye."
- German garrison on the Minkies, probably
Is not that quote from a character in a film? If so, which one (character/film)? The suggestion of the quote is brilliant, nonetheless.
THE IMPERIALIST
CAPITALIST CLASS WILL MOVE HEAVEN AND HELL
AGAINST THE
PROLETARIAT. IT WILL TURN THE COUNTRY INTO A SMOKING HEAP OF RUBBLE RATHER THAN GIVE UP WAGE-SLAVERY OF ITS OWN FREE WILL.
@@skyden24195 Drax from Guardians of the galaxy
@@Lowlight-pt4zs No the Germans said it before
@@Lowlight-pt4zs oh yeah!!! Thanks for the reminder.
Absolutely fascinating, Dr. Felton. Thank you.
My mother and her people were from Jersey. Churchill's comment referred to the German garrison, but the people of Jersey were there too. Many slave-laborers from the USSR were on the island. My cousins would encounter them on the beaches, trying to catch fish with their bare hands. They asked "How long?" towards the end. May 9th is Liberation Day on Jersey.
good film called "Another Mother's Son" about a Jersey woman who hid a young escaped Russian POW
@@4exgold Louisa Gould. None of the film was made in the Island. Her Brother Harold Le Druillenec was also arrested and sent to Belsen. He survived and returned to the Island were he took up his old job as a teacher. As the Island's were under military control, a Festung, the arrests were not made by the Gestapo, which were a civillian organisation, but the Gehime Feilde Poliezi Secret Feild Police, the military equivalent. There are to stories as to how the remark 'Another Mother's Son ' came about. . Her son Edward had been killed serving as an RNVR officer. One tale is then when her Brother Harold took her to task for hiding Fyidor, the Russian she replied 'He's another Mother's son'. . The other story is that when she was being interogated and the NAZI interegator asked why she had risked her life for a pice of sub human waste, she then replied 'He is another Mother's son'. Either way a remarkable woman. Her betryal was probaly due to a pair of sisters that lived near by. Both the sisters were what were described as 'simple'. Post war , they had committed no crime, and as it was considered that both were menatlly sub normal, what would be point of brining any action against them? Both lived till the late 1960's. Thier cottage was on a narrow road, as kids we used to ride our ponies past the cottage. If either were outside they would stop and just stare at us till we wnt past, normally at a fast trot!
@@51WCDodge interesting...thanks for posting.
Yet another terrific video on a story I never hear if before. Thank you!
Uahhhh it's Monday....I don't want to leave my bed.....Notification Mark Felton new video just dropped, me jumping out of my bed and grabbing my phone. Thanks Mark.
Again, you have given us concise and intriguing snippet of history. Your presentations are superb ! Thank you
As usual, Dr.Felton surprises us with information i've never heard before in my life.
great job Dr. and keep up the good work! 👍
What a fantastic and fascinating bedtime story from our WW2 history teacher. Thank you Mark, for sharing all this with us!
En godnathistori
Mark you never cease to amazes me with your documentary's ! Well done Sir !
Dr Felton is probably the only person able to make the channel island garrison sound like they had a huge part in the war
he's found enough material for two episodes so far. The other one, about the raid on France, is even crazier!
Your videos are so dense with information, I have to listen repeatedly to hear the things I didnt hear the first few times. Thank you for these Sir
Mark, your work is epic. Loving every minute of it. Well researched, well formatted, well presented. Kudos, mate! And thank you so much, for a job well done!
Some of the most interesting history I never knew about but back2life Mark Felton thank you
Thank you again, mark.
You are the best
Another awesome video Dr Felton, thank you.
I always enjoy Channel Island stories on your channel Mark.
Thank you Mr. Felton for your wonderfully informative content. It is not just educational but also entertaining.
God bless you
.
Thank you, Mr Felton for such an interesting story. I learned so much in just 10 minutes.
Another really good video. I learned something new again. I was not aware of this situation. Thanks
German Garrison: Guys I think they forgot about us.
Japanese bunker on random Pacific island: You don't say.
Whenever I think I have learned a lot about World War II, Dr. Felton, you show me how little I really know. Thank you so much for your amazing content!
Good job as usual, Mark Felton. Thanks a lot for that.
Not sure if Mark has done this one yet, but there's a fascinating tale of the garrison of some Dutch island where a bunch of Georgian POWs from the USSR were recruited by the Germans to garrison the island, then at the end of the war turned on the Germans and butchered them in the night.
Just looked it up: Texel is the island. More than 1000 dead, right at the end of the war, including many Dutch civilians. I remember reading about it years ago, and it seemed like a horror story for everyone involved.
Ww2 keeps getting weirder and weirder for me
Yet another fascinating story, Dr. Felton. Have you thought about doing lecture tours? I would pay top dollar to hear you speak in person if you came to the United States. This is one of the best channels on youtube, hands down.
Classic Felton!! Keep 'em coming!
Mark Felton, always a pleasure, thank you.
Always a fountain of information sir - thank you
I had no Idea these tiny islands even existed. Thank you for educating me yet again Dr. Felton!
Always fascinating. Thanks Dr. Felton.
Many thanks, Mark, for yet another fascinating story. I really enjoy your videos.
Lots of Japanese in the islands continued fighting for a couple of years after the Japanese surrender.
They were turning up when I was in elementary school
Last one gave it up in1974
We left lots on the islands
Too much trouble to get them
I visited some of those and I would love to hear a recount of how the surrender happened to the US Navy and Marines. Were there any fanatics who resisted?
@@tomhenry897 About this only major islands in any group were invaded. T!his was major tactic/strategy called (island hopping) if I remember correctly. This was for the reason you gave about being too much trouble or time being involved.
Incredible footage! Imagine one son stationed in Köningsberg and the other at The Minkees.... Fate and location were so connected.
I am Jersey born and in my 60s and this is the first time I've heard about this! Although the reef is pronounced as Dr. Mark Felton has spelt it, the correct spelling is: Minquiers.
This guys channel is the real deal. Really makes things interesting and engaging.
“The islands consist of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark.”
Herm: 😢
Lihou and Brechquou aussi!
I can't list every single one! The four main ones are the ones usually listed.
and Jethou
@@ianm452 Great book on P. Gutenberg by a man who let himself be stranded on Jethou for a year...
@@EdMcF1 I was going to add Lihou but is it technically an island. You can walk to it at low tide.
I know a station of Wehrmacht soldiers who got to surrender well after the Minquers. Long after!
Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine were branches of service more dependent on weather than the army. Submarines put up and hid automatic weather sensors but such automatization was primitive then, so a number of manned weather observation stations were placed at isolated and faraway locations.
These stations were in continuous radio contact with Kriegsmarine's meteorological service and at the DNB, the national radio broadcasting service of Das Reich, also they listened in to news report at BBC and various US and Canadian radio broadcasts. They were in other words fully well aware of the German surrender of May 9th.
But so far away and isolated as they were, evacuating them wasn't straightforwards, certainly not in the chaotic time after the downfall of the Nazi regime. They send repeated and ever more desperate call for rescue to anyone willing to come and take them back home. They staff had to live like eskimos until rescue reached them. I'm not quite sure about the date for the evacuation of the last station, at northeastern Greenland, but the September 9th is a date occuring to me.
There was a German weather unit in Svalbard who surrendered September 4, 1945. They were forgotten after the national surrender, continued to radio weather reports but no-one was responding for months. Finally they made contact and a Norwegian sealing boat was sent to collect them. They were said to be the last.
My Great Uncle Ib Poulsen operated a weather station in Northeast Greenland. He was suppose to transmit weather reports by radio in the clear to that both Axis and Allied forces, however after arriving in Greenland the only reports were in Allied coded messages. His and those who worked with him records of WWII are told in the book Sledge Patrol by David Howarth.
Yes, I was thinking about this weather reporting station. Trouble is that I can't remember who retold that story? Was it Dr Felton?
I am sure that Dr Felton can straighten out the mystery as to just which German Outpost was the last to surrender?
The trouble for the lads in Greenland was that if their radio had failed catastrophically, then they could have slowly died from starvation and or disease and no one would have known about their plight for years. Fortunately, they were able to get someone's attention and they were rescued, but it could just as easily have gone the other way. Not sure if Polar Bears were a regular problem or not.
Mark from Melbourne Australia
@@markfryer9880... a German weather station was already subject in this channel.
@@markfryer9880 The last German soldier to surrender was Georg Gaertner, in the USA, in the early 1980s. He had escaped from a POW camp in the US in 1944 and been on the run ever since, even marrying and building up a new identity.
Another interesting video Dr. Felton. As always, well done. Thank you sir!
Thanks for another great video. You always have very interesting stories about the war and present them in an objective and entertaining manner. Keep up the great work.
There was also a German weather station in Greenland. These guys really were forgotten as in everybody forgot they were there. They were lucky to be discovered and rescued. Greenland can be a very hard location to stay alive in.
I guess this was weather station "Haudegen" on Spitsbergen not Greenland
My unit in Viet Nam, 175thRRC, had a similar detachment on Con Son Island. A couple of shacks and a beach to lounge on. Unfortunately, one of guys from the 175th sent there to repair some electronic equipment was washed out to sea while swimming and was never found.
Your point?
Must be within the nine-dash line.
Another amazing video about something i knew nothing about yet studied in school. Thank you Mark.
Mr. Fenton has done it again. Love it!
I have an original publication of “Der Adler”, the German publication for the Luftwaffe, in which there was an article about the German troops in the Channel Islands.
I forgot to add that a tagline from the article was “Es ist so fein, ein Soldat zu sein.” (It is so fine to be a soldier). Loses a lot in translation.
I am very glad that you mentioned the Toilet! Some 20 years ago I was lucky enough to be able to spend a few days in one of the cottages on Maitresse IIe it is quite an interesting place.
Historically substantial quantities of granite were extracted from the various reefs around Les Minquiers. In fact granite extraction was the only significant occupation apart from fishing in Les Minquiers.
From memory didn't the Germans maning the Casquets Lighthouse also surrender after the main islands?
What a fascinating odd story. Thanks for sharing. I always learn so much from you.
Love military history. Especially this channel. Love it. Thanks mate. From the old Aussie.
You could do a whole segment on forgotten or non-surrendering Japanese troops (particularly in the Philippines).
Here we come,
Forgotten by your fleet,
Get no funniest looks from,
No one we meet.
Hey, hey we're the Minkees,
People say we Minkee around,
But we're too busy swimmin,
And waiting to be found.
You channeled your inner Weird Al. Well done!
Like the monkees, they were shooting blanks
Thanks for the upload Mark, never knew this before.
This video, like the rest, was so intriguing and fascinating. Thanks for the show
These are nice, infromative, well narrated and well edited bits of history. I think they are also quite fairly and accurately reported. Good stuff.
It's a well-earned cliche to say this, but I literally had NO IDEA about this!
Amazing little tidbit of history.
Thanks, Doc. After a frustratingly idiotic day, a few well-researched Felton facts put everything back in perspective... 🙏❤
Marvellous ! Thank you for sharing.
Very interesting!
These troops were almost as lucky as German POWs who somehow ended up in Ireland where they were well fed during the war. Allied POWs in Ireland enjoyed a six month holiday until going back to their armies. German POWs in Ireland remained there until the war was over with some eventually settling down in Ireland.😊
German POWs in the US had it pretty good. Initially, many were from the Afrika Korps and were high-morale, with a number of arrogant, committed Nazis among them. But as the war went on, increasing numbers were let out to work on building projects and agricultural harvests around their camps, and were by all accounts good, conscientious workers. The same had been true of Germans captured during the American Revolution -- as, the whole brigade garrisoning Trenton, NJ in 1776, and the German wing which surrendered at Saratoga, NY the next year. The guys from Trenton built (on contract, while POWs) many "Hessian" barns , outbuildings, and little stone bridges and dams in the upper Shenandoah Valley that are still in use today. Once the final peace agreement had been ratified, a Hessian private who'd been captured at Trenton deserted the army column on its march from the Shenandoah back to its port of embarkation in NY. He got clean away, settled down not far from Trenton itself, took up the butcher's trade, married a local girl, and sired a large family. Years later he chanced to meet President George Washington when the latter was riding out from Philadelphia one day. He told GW that being captured was the best thing that could have happened to him, since his status as a poor peasant in Germany (prior to his impressment into the military) would have afforded him no opportunities. As it was, the Army had paid for his ride to America, where he now owned a business, had money in his pocket, and was both a free man and respected member of his community.
In retrospect, the German garrison was highly fortunate to be posted there. It is amazing that they were overlooked in Spring of 1945 as the high command scoured German territories to cobble together forces for the Battle of Berlin. There was probably no logistical way to transfer the garrison from the island and across to German lines, but AH probably would have ordered them to try anyway, even if it meant their annihilation.
I always thought that too, but AH left tens of 1000's of troops in Norway right up to the end.
Well it would have been a bit of a problem getting them off of the islands and back to Germany since well all of France was in the hands of the Allies and not really sure that they would have wanted to be removed from the islands. They were short on food but no one was shooting at them.
The German garrison on a Norwegian island that hung around until September 1945 was in deeper trouble…
And also they would probably just ignore them anyway. Like if you're on an island where the most dangerous thing is stubbing your toe on a rock, why would you go and die in literally hell on earth just because some guy thinks there's a scenario where not everybody dies?
@@chestersleezer8821 Agreed. I doubt they would have been eager to leave the island and return to Germany, even if they could have. On the other hand, the high command sent thousands of children and old men to their deaths to buy themselves a few extra days. They would have rather seen the garrison annihilated by allied forces in a failed relief mission than to have them surrender peacefully and survive the war.
One of my favourites this one. Thanks Mark. Looking forward to the next lesson
Ah the pesky Minkees.... sound like something from the inspector Clouseau movies.... Thank you for the video Mr. Felton.
Now I've got the theme from the Monkees on my mind. But as the Minkees, that is. At least they got picked up a bit quicker than that weather unit on Svalbard. A place probably more people have heard of before.
In a similar jovial theme there was Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther asking if the organ grinder had a licence for the 'Minkey'. As I now live in France, and not actually that far from the Minkies I suppose I could 'recapture' it for France but on the other hand, I won't bother. I wonder how it features in the Brexit shenanigans?
Dr Felton thank you for sharing you knowledge and splendid research with all of us. As a long time lover of history, and a student of all things WWII you are most appreciated.
Thanks, Mark! I love your work! ♥
Im actually from jersey and love all your videos but channel island stuff if my favourite
Amazing story and one that I had not heard Mark. Those French fishermen must have got a shock seeing armed Germans after the war! Reminds me of the German embassy in Dublin. Many British tourists in Dublin who walked past it, were shocked to see a swastika flag flying so near to England.