During Nazi Germany's occupation of much of Europe, it was the tiny island, Alderney, that also fell victim to the most feared party of the 20th century. Now while it's recognized this island is no longer a part of the United Kingdom, in the past it was part of the British Crown Dependency.
It housed more than 4 forced and slave labour sites including Lager Sylt, a concentration camp, just off the north coast of France. While today there is nothing but little bare bones left of them due to the Germans burning and destroying all the records before the British came in through May 1945 to take over. A classic move in efforts to hide their involvement at all, which was far more evident than ever.
When the Germans arrived at Alderney, they found that it was nearly empty, almost all residents had managed to evacuate. There they built several camps on the uninhabited island.
There lays a new worry, to understanding just how many people were murdered there on that tiny British island. As Scott Reid explains is basic form below,
In the months that followed liberation, British soldiers and their German prisoners worked together to clear mines off the island, before civilians - evacuated in advance of the occupation - could return in time for Christmas that year. Alderney was, in effect, a giant work camp, where prisoners - mostly Russians and Ukrainians who were brought in to build massive defensive fortifications on the island - were literally worked to death. (Euronews)
While the official number stands at 389, experts truly believe that the number is much higher especially as there were only 8 Jewish deaths recorded, possibly even in the thousands could be buried in mass graves. We know for a fact at the very least that more Jews likely died than we know of in Alderney. Keeping in mind again, that many of these records were burned and destroyed so this very well may be the case as to why. Personally, I know that more than 6 million Jews were murdered in the period of the height of power of the Nazis, but the estimated amount remains this though in reality it's much more.
Now while re-touching a topic like this can be sensitive and the need to move on from the past overpowers the right thing to do, it's something we should never forget or even bare to "move past from". Understanding, remembering, and recognizing every soul innocently lost should be our every effort. No questions asked.
"The dead deserve the dignity of the truth..." says Lord Pickles, the UK's Holocaust envoy. "Exaggerating the numbers of the dead, or even minimizing them, is in itself a form of Holocaust distortion and a critical threat to Holocaust memory and to fostering a world without genocide," Lord Pickles added.
The new investigation will bring together 11 experts from Alderney, the U.K., Germany, France and Canada to conduct research into the camps. (Smithsonian)
No matter how many suffered and died here, however many there were, while the number very well may never be fully known, it's us who need to bring light to every one of those lost. It's the least we could do. There must be no cover-up, and there must be every effort given that's possible. It's what the victims would have wanted. It can not only allow closure to those impacted but also a crucial history lesson to understanding Nazi Germany's motives, history and impact.
It's urged today that people come forward, evidence is given, records, anything is given. It's the only hope we have in understanding the truth. Numbers matter because the truth matters.
I love the ending.