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Further evidence, backing up claims the Allies wanted to bomb the Channel Islands in 1943, has been researched and published by an amateur historian
Nick Le Huray (pictured top inset) writes a blog on his own website detailing the research he carries out on World War II and the Occupation of the Channel Islands, on both previously known and unknown topics.
THIS WEEK ON PATREON
— History Rage Podcast (@HistoryRage) May 16, 2023
Historian and Blogger @Nickleh comes on board to rage that NO CHURCHILL DIDN'T ABANDON THE CHANNEL ISLANDS and THERE WAS A RESISTANCE AS WELL! Even a counter invasion was on the cards
???? https://t.co/xKAYhgdkZO pic.twitter.com/FjKCG4EZfk
Mr Le Huray has previously spoken about his research into the planned CI raids on podcasts dedicated to WWII history.
He's read the newly published book 'The Allied Assault on Hitler’s Channel Island Fortress' written by John Grehan and said it is "very well researched".
That book has been central to national media interest in the scrapped plans to bomb Guernsey, Alderney and Jersey, to try and bring an end to the Second World War, just three years after the islands were Occupied by Nazi forces.
Pictured: The new book on the Channel Islands war time history has revealed previously unreported claims.
Mr Le Huray has previously researched the plans, and has written three blog posts for his Island Fortress website.
These blog posts focus on the plans to retake the Channel Islands from German Occupation in 1941, 1942 and then in 1943.
The 1943 plans were explored in detail in Mr Grehan's new book and Mr Le Huray agreed with him that the idea "was very much the brainchild of and driven by Lord Louis Mountbatten". Mr Le Huray has found evidence to prove the plans were worked on over the course of at least three months before being replaced with plans for the invasion and subsequent retaking of Sicily.
If you read the Daily MIrror article today about "Churchill planned to blitz Channel Islands to seize them back from Nazis, new book claims" you might be interested in my blog post about one aspect of this operation. https://t.co/lqSghSYl6n
— Island Fortress (@fortress_island) May 31, 2023
Lord Mountbatten was, during the Second World War, Head of Combined Operations and at the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 he was one of the driving forces behind plans to launch a large-scale raid on the Channel Islands.
Mr Le Huray explains that this was to be given the name Operation Constellation, with the sub operations called Operation Coverlet against Guernsey, Operation Condor against Jersey, and Operation Concertina against Alderney.
Pictured: The Island Fortress blog features more examples of known and unknown aspects of WWII and Occupation history.
Mr Le Huray's research found further evidence of plans for the CI raids into February of that year with paperwork attributed to Lord Mountbatten referring to an outline plan for an operation against Alderney. Regarding the other islands, Mr Le Huray writes that Lord Mountbatten stated “examination has not yet reached a stage when it is possible to say that attacks on Guernsey and Jersey are practicable".
Mr Le Huray's research has uncovered what aircraft and manpower would have been needed if Operation Constellation had gone ahead, before a final reference to plans in March 1943, after which the idea was replaced with the retaking of Sicily which went ahead in July that year.
The Channel Islands remained under German Occupation for another two years until the end of the war in Europe.
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