The Channel Islands Occupation Society (CIOS) is a voluntary organisation that seeks to study all aspects of the

German occupation of the Channel Islands The military occupation of the Channel Islands by Nazi Germany lasted for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until liberation on 9 May 1945. The Bailiwick of Jersey and Bailiwick of Guernsey are two island countries and British ...

and to raise awareness and educate the public about the occupation during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. There are two branches, one in

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the ...

and the other in

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

, that take turns in publishing the ''Channel Islands Occupation Review''. The CIOS manages many German fortifications and archives on both islands.

Jersey branch

The Jersey branch was set up in 1971. In 2010 it was converted into a limited liability company. Sites open to the public: *

Battery Lothringen Battery Lothringen was a World War II coastal artillery battery in Saint Brélade, Jersey, named after the SMS Lothringen, SMS'' Lothringen'', and constructed by Organisation Todt for the Wehrmacht during the Occupation of the Channel Islands. T ...

, (underground command bunker, coastal artillery observation tower) * Battery Moltke * Strongpoint Corbière, (‘M19’ fortress mortar bunker with linked MG bunker, 10.5cm K331 (f) coastal defence gun

casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" me ...

) * Sechsschartenturm, St. Ouen * Anti-tank gun casemate at Millbrook, St. Lawrence

Guernsey Branch

Founded in 1961, by Richard Heaume, M.B.E.,in Guernsey, the society still researches all aspects of the German Occupation of the Channel Islands. It has an archive of historical documents, and also renovated the former German naval Signals H.Q, which was responsible for all messages to the islands from France and then Germany after D Day. The Guernsey branch is a member of the Association of Guernsey Charities, and donates money every year to The British Red Cross, in recognition of the help given to islands by the International Red Cross in 1944 and 1945, with supplies of food to the local population. Guernsey CIOS works with Festung Guernsey and private owners as regards sites open to the public in Guernsey: * Fort Hommet Casemate * St Jacques Naval Headquarters * MP3 Tower, Pleinmont * German Underground Hospital, St. Andrews * La Vallette Tunnels

Publications

In addition to the annual publication ''Channel Islands Occupation Review'' which has been produced since 1973, the society has published a sequence of books under the title ''Archive Book'' dealing with specific subjects such as ''Archive Book 5 Channel Islands Merchant Shipping 1940 - 1945''

Photos of managed fortifications

CIOS Jersey File:Nièrmont Jèrri Juilet 2009 p.jpg, Battery Lothringen File:Gun at Battery Moltke, Les Landes, Jersey 02.JPG, Battery Moltke File:IMG 2476 German Cannon Elizabeth Castle august 2006.JPG, A 10.5 cm coastal defence gun. File:Xcorbiere-105-16.jpg, 10.5 cm Casemate at Strongpoint Corbiere File:Xmillbrook02.jpg, 4.7 cm Pak Casemate at Millbrook File:Xvaldelamare20.jpg, Sechsschartentürme interior CIOS Guernsey File:10.5cm Gun Casement.JPG, 10.5 casemate at Fort Hommet

References

External links