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The Islands were disarmed, to be declared an 'Open City', and a white flag replaced the Union Jack on the Castle, which lulled everyone into false security. Later, it was revealed that the British Government had failed to follow the procedure required by the Geneva Convention for an Open City Declaration.
Growers and Farmers were urged to export as much as possible for the war effort, freighters arrived and appeals were made to stop panic evacuation and the abandonment of properties. We had no time to think, concerned only with exporting produce as quickly as possible. In those days exporting lorries formed double queues on the sea side of the North Esplanade between the Salarie Corner and the Weighbridge onwards along the White Rock towards the docks. On Friday morning on 28th June my husband received a phone call from the police informing him that one of his drivers had abandoned his lorry and joined the mail boat, leaving his lorry to be a queue impediment. He was asked to move it and ship the load; at one o'clock he found the abandoned lorry opposite the Royal Hotel. This journey delayed our own shipment and may very well have saved our lives. We were making the last collection at Les Comptes Farm, St. Saviour when the raid on the harbour started. We sat in a field on the high ground affording a distant view to St. Peter Port and watched the German planes dive-bombing the harbour. We could clearly hear the machine gun fire. On and on it went until a great cloud of black smoke soon converged over the whole distant scene. When the noise stopped we realised the raid must be over and drove into St. Peter Port where we were faced with the most appalling scene of devastation.
The blackened area all around the harbour still hissing steam, with smoke belching forth, petrol tanks had exploded, fires were burning everywhere, produce was squashed, tomato juice and blood ran down the road coupled with a terrible acrid putrid smell. The lorries, all having reached the weighbridge, had taken the main force of the bombing and were flat on the road, most on fire. Ambulances were dashing back and forth sirens screaming, people were walking about in a dazed and bewildered condition. Those who had run zigzagging along the top walk or climbed the steps on the sea side of the harbour wall had come off best. Many drivers and others had sheltered underneath lorries to avoid machine gun bullets with horrible fatal results as the bombs fell on the lorries. A passenger boat in the harbour possessed a gun and was the only opposition to the enemy. In the chaotic conditions some people fled to join the boat as it later left the harbour telling no one of their intention. Many bodies were unrecognisable, so with communication between Guernsey and the mainland coming to an end the exact death toll of the German raid is not known to this day.

Mrs L A Mauger

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