Researcher needs help to open closed Occupation files
Tuesday 12th April 2011, 2:29PM BST.
STORIES from local victims of Nazi persecution are being kept in closed files by the Foreign Office.
Cambridge University historian Dr Gilly Carr (pictured), who is researching the subject of resistance in the Channel Islands, is seeking authorisation from individuals involved in these testimonies so she can access potentially invaluable information for her work.
‘It’s very frustrating because having read a lot of testimonies already, I want to read the rest. I want to find out what else happened to other Channel Islanders who committed acts of resistance during the Occupation,’ she said.
‘These files contain personal information on people. However, the Foreign Office has told us that if we are able to obtain letters from the individuals concerned, authorising us to see the testimonials, it would reconsider its decision on a case-by-case basis.’
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Why would anyone want to conceal, and refuse to release, heroic stories of those who resisted the Nazi’s during the occupation?
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If Dr. Carr is told who the people are she may be
able to find one or two still living!
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A half hour chat with Islander should give her enough material for a series of books
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Not if it is the same nonsense I heard, when trying to do my A Level work – “the average soldier was nice, the high ranking officers were horrid” and rubbish like that.
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Not quite sure if you are being sarcastic, or just a genuine reply.
Whatever it makes no difference.
I will say this, if you didn’t live through that period in our history, then it isn’t possible to assume its tragedy.
The unbelievable cannot ever be made to be believable, it could just be hearsay.
However that as it may be. it happened, and many suffered. but; when one has read books like that dreadful book by Madeleine Bunting, called a model occupation,
After that lot one would be a sceptic to read any such books in the future.
So Ray meaningful or otherwise: think on about such remarks.
Remember there are still a few around and I’m sure they will agree with me. Our thoughts are ours.
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Islander, I agree with you about Buntings book, with reference to the Channel Islands Occupation Societies review of 1997, Number 25, Ward Rutherford list hundreds of mistakes in Buntings “detailed” work. The book smacks of opportunism, coming out in time for the 50th anniversary of the Liberation.
Her work is not presented as a work of scholarship but as a piece of journalism, lacking verifiable sources and is dominated by an interest in indicting islanders for their collaboration during the occupation and their amnesia since.
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Islander
Why not contact Dr Carr,perhaps via the Press
Get her to call you for a preliminary chat and if you’re not happy with how it goes call it a day there and then
She seems genuine enough and her book is not for profit I believe.You might be in a position to put other leads her way
Real history should be written down for others to learn from
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Kongo:
Oh yes it was so easy to turn words on pages,as she did.
Yet when I asked a pertinent question as regards her true Identity, she refused to answer.
Yes she was quick to denounce Islanders. yet she–
on never mind. Fictitious names are easy to use.
I don’t mind anyone making a £ or 2, but an amount of fairness must live through the theme, she grasped at straws.
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Ray!
I Respect your writings- however what you ask is impossible- it wouldn’t get off the starting line, and why?
Well at wars end , during the war, and just before the war. It was the English that made the running.
They put the files out of reach, they know they were guilty of what is a national if not world wide failing
That failing is family, in the case of the English it is/was Cousins.
I know this to be true personally. so what can be done?
Nothing, Only Neptune rules the waves…
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