The only part of Britain to be invaded and occupied by the Nazis in the Second World War is the subject of a Minnow Films docuseries for Channel 4.  

Britain Under the Nazis: the Forgotten Occupation is a two-parter that recounts how, in June 1940, Britain abandoned the Channel Islands – Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney – to Hitler’s forces, leaving nearly 70,000 islanders facing the dilemma of collaborating with or resisting the occupying forces.  

Mass deportations and slave labour camps were rolled out on British soil, and with no official investigation into the occupation, the fallout from the disarray remains toxic to this day.  

The series, which marks the 80th anniversary of the Channel Islands’ liberation, will feature first-person testimony brought to life by actors. It will also feature insights from historians who unearthed the original diaries, memoirs, letters and the unseen private photo album of a senior Nazi officer, to paint a picture of a world of informants, collaborators, black marketeers and resisters.  

Britain Under the Nazis: the Forgotten Occupation was commissioned for C4 by commissioning editor in the specialist factual department Emily Shields. It is exec produced by Alicia Kerr and Morgan Matthews, with Tim Dunn series producing, and Jack Warrender serving as series director.  

Sphere Abacus will handle global sales.  

Shields said: “The occupation of the Channel Islands by the Nazis created an almost impossible dilemma for residents who chose not to evacuate. Drawing on incredible first-person testimony, with stories that intersect, overlap and defy each other in ‘their’ version of the truth, Minnow have created a mesmerising portrait of life under enemy rule.”