Ep 6: Return to Biberach - A Lasting Legacy of Internment

⚡ Having escaped Biberach 67 years before, in 2012, the Guernsey Deportees decided to go back. Despite decades passing, the events that unfolded in Germany have caused a ripple effect throughout their lives - impacting them both emotionally and physically. So what drew them back to Germany, to visit the camp where they’d once been interned?

💡 In 1942, during World War 2, Hitler ordered the deportation of more than 1000 islanders from Guernsey. Jill Chubb was just 3 years old when she set sail, but her memories are vivid and clear. And in this special podcast series, her grandson, former BBC Guernsey presenter Ollie Guillou, charts her story - joined by three other deportees and two prominent historians.

🔎 This sixth episode explores Jill’s emotional return to Biberach - now a police training academy - and the transformational reception the Deportees received from the locals during their stay. Hear about the lasting impact of the camp on the deportees - some who suffered throughout their lives, and others who sought compensation for what happened. And discover why it’s so vital that these stories are remembered and passed down through the generations. 

⚙️ With special thanks to:

Jill Chubb, Chair of the Guernsey Deportees Association

Ralph Godwin, Deportee

Janet de Santos, Deportee

Jill Oliver, Deportee

Alan Chubb, Secretary of the Guernsey Deportees Association

Dr Gilly Carr, University of Cambridge

Matthew Lucas, War historian

📍 Written and produced by ⁠Ollie Guillou⁠ and ⁠Phillippa Guillou⁠. This is a ⁠Channel Islands Podcasts⁠ production.

✉️ Share your messages and memories; email hello@ogpodcasts.co.uk