The Road to Liberation - 16th April 1941

Good morning everyone.

As we continue the WW2 Tunnel Project at HO19 (click the link for full details) we are asking for your help to identify and age some found items we believe may be postwar.

Victoria Dairy Milk Bottle:

Does anyone know the age of this bottle?

Can anyone identify the logo or what it means on this metal plate?

If so please get in to contact with us

As a reminder here are the Tunnels in a 3d tour :

Today would be the 290th day of the Islands Occupation with 1,484 days remaining.

German Order warns holders of fishing permits and registration papers for their boats to return them to the Harbour Office by the 23rd.

16th April 1941 - Southwark Street, London.

The commonwealth graves commission record 1,845 deaths this day 80 years ago, the average age was 36. 1,600 are civilians with the majority killed from the German bombing in London and Belfast.

At 0500 hours, the German air raid on Belfast, Northern Ireland, which began at 2300 hours on the previous date ended; the 203 tons of high explosive bombs, 80 parachute mines, and 800 incendiary bombs dropped killed 758, wounded 1,500, and destroyed 56,000 homes; 100,000 residents were made homeless. British aircraft carrier “Furious”, under repair at Belfast, was damaged by the German bombing. British vessels “Anglesea Rose” and “Amiens” were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

At the end of the day and into the next day, 681 German aircraft bombed London, England, causing massive damage. Nearly 900 tonnes (992 short tons) of high explosive were dropped on the city. Parliament buildings and St. Paul's Cathedral suffer damage, and more than 2,250 fires are touched off by incendiary bombs.

The April book recommendation is "Six Days." The story centres around the paratroopers of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division and the brave citizens of the quiet French hamlet. The battle of Grainges maybe not be known as some of the invasion stories but this beautifully illustrated novel captures the true story.

Exploring bunkers
  Always get permission from the owner
 Take a torch, a spare and one more for luck
 Don't go alone & tell someone where you will be and for how long
 You will get dirty as most are often full of rubbish and may have been used as a public toilet
 Anything you find still belongs to the person that owns the property
  Unexploded ordnance is still found in Jersey if you see or find anything that looks like ordnance please call the bomb disposal officer on 01534 612 61

Sources of Information
 German Documents are housed at The National Archived in Washington or Archive in Kew UK
 T-78 Roll 317: OKH Coastal and Channel Defenses Files 1940-44 -

T-78 Roll 318: OKH Coastal and Channel Defenses Files 1941-43

T-315 Roll 1639: 216th Security Division War Diary

(Kriegstagebuch), Belgium, France & Russia 1939-42 

T-1022 Roll 2423: Various War Diaries (Kriegstagebucher), Channel Islands 1941-44

Atlantic Wall Coastal Battery Lists: Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, & France 1944-45 

T-312 Roll 1559: 7th Army War Diary (Kriegstagebuch), France 1941-43 & T-312 Roll 1558

T-315 Roll 1643: 216th Security Division War Diary

(Kriegstagebuch), Belgium, France & Russia 1939-41 

T-311 Roll 16: Army Group D War Diary (Kriegstagebuch), Western Front Aug-Nov 1944 
 Operation Green Arrow - Occupation of the Channel Islands MOD 584
 Allied Technical Intelligence Reports 1942-45
 German Preparations for Invasion of the United Kingdom 1941-42
 B-833, 319th Infantry Division (1941-45)
 German Seacoast Defenses, European Theatre - prepared by the Artillery Evaluation Board

BBC News & Archives

The Britannica
 Jersey Occupied by Michael Ginns - ISBN 978-1-905095-29-2
 Operation Nestegg Plans
 Operation Hardtack Plans
 Operation Basalt Plans
 RAF Photos care of The National Collection of Aerial Photography

The National Archive of Newspapers
 Bundesarchiv - Multiple Photos - and Files
 A Map of slave labour camps. Kindly Provided by Emilio Pérez
 Photo's and information provided by fans
 Onsite visits & internet research

Cabinet Papers Second World War memoranda (cab 661- cab 665)
 After the Battle Multiple Magazines

The Bomber Command War Diaries: An Operational Reference Book, 1939-1945
 Jersey Heritage Archive

CIOS Archive & Publications (become a member here)

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission

American Battle Monuments Commission

 If we have used any photos or information which you believe to posted without permission, please contact us at info@jerseywartours.com and we will resolve asap.

Jersey War Tours is Registered with the Jersey Financial Services Commission as a Non-Profit Organisation - NPO1207

Jargon Help

 Widerstandsnest (WN) = Resistance Nest (RN)
 A small pocket of resistance would be made up of small groups of up to 10 men with light weapons. They would man Anti-tank weapons, an observation post or a field gun.
 Stützpunkt St.P = Strongpoint (STP)
 The next level up from an RN and consisted of several RN's. STP areas would have a combination of weapons and different branches of the military used. Examples of this can be found with Strongpoint Greve de Lecq and Strongpoint Corbiere
 Einsatzstellung = Operational Position or Action Post
 Smaller MG type position generally it was only maned during an alert
 Feldwache = Field Watch
 Early resistance nest

Jägerstand

Jäger Casemate was a special design and name for bunkers designed to hold a 10.5cm field gun