The Channel Island Military Museum

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The Channel Island Military Museum The best Occupation experience on the Island. A vast collection of original artefacts displayed in a German bunker.

A lifetimes work by the owner to preserve and display what is left of the 5 long years of the German Occupation We open for the season every year on the Monday before Good Friday and close at the end of October for the winter. The Museum is housed in a German bunker which once formed part of Hitlers Atlantic Wall defences. All the rooms and corridors are full of German military and civilian Occupation items. Hundreds of items, many personnel stories, and a 40 minute commentary. Well worth the visit if your interested in the history of the Island. The artefacts on display in the Museum are a very small part of the owners collection which he started when he was 7 years old and is still searching for new items today nearly 50 years later. His lifelong passion has been to save all and any items from the 5 years of German Occupation, after hearing his Grandparents stories about the Occupation and those of his Father he became determined that this time should not be forgotten. The Occupation happened here on the Island of Jersey and is the most important time in the Islands recent history, the Museum and all the artefacts on display are evidence of this time and an exceptionally rare and valuable insight into those times for tourists and researchers alike.

Thursdays item of interest is a very recent pick up and is a nice condition German soldiers Wehrpass. This will be scann...
15/10/2026

Thursdays item of interest is a very recent pick up and is a nice condition German soldiers Wehrpass. This will be scanned and researched over the winter time.
But having had a quick look at it, its for a unit which we previously didn't have an example for.
This one is made out to Georg Rittler. who was stationed in Guernsey with the 9./Art.Regt.319. In short this means he was serving at Batterie Tiger. The Batterie had four 10 cm le.FH 14/19(t) guns, and training on this type of artillery piece is recorded in Georg's Wehpass on page 20.
Further research will take place hopefully very soon

Below is some information taken from the internet on the Unit and the Batterie which may be of interest.

9. Batterie, Artillerie-Regiment 319
(abbreviated as 9.Battr./Art.Rgt.319 or 9./A.R.319) is the precise military designation for the unit that manned Batterie Tiger in Guernsey.
9. Batterie (9th Battery): The tactical unit directly on the ground operating the guns at Rue des Bailleuls.
III. Abteilung (3rd Battalion): 9. Batterie belonged to the 3rd Battalion of the regiment. The battalion headquarters (Stab III./A.R.319) was also permanently stationed in Guernsey to oversee local army artillery defence.
Artillerie-Regiment 319: The overarching artillery regiment for the 319. Infanterie-Division, tasked with fortifying and defending the German-occupied Channel Islands.
During the occupation, units were assigned a Feldpostnummer (military postal code) to keep locations secret. Mail bound for the soldiers manning Batterie Tiger was addressed to Feldpostnummer 35034 D(where 'D' designated the 9th Battery within the 3rd Battalion).
Batterie Tiger (Artillerie Regiments-batterie Tiger): Located at Rue des Bailleuls, this was an army divisional artillery battery equipped with 10 cm guns (alongside sister batteries like Lux, Sperber, and Wolf).
Batterie Tiger was manned by the German Army (Heer), specifically elements of Artillerie-Regiment 319.
Artillerie-Regiment 319 served as the core artillery component of the 319th Static Infantry Division (319. Infanterie-Division). This division was permanently stationed in the Channel Islands to serve as the main defensive garrison during the 1940–1945 German occupation.
Because it was classified as an Artillerie Regiments-batterie (an army divisional battery rather than a heavy naval battery), it directly answered to the divisional command structures on the island rather than the German Navy (Kriegsmarine).

Batterie Tiger was equipped with four 10 cm le.FH 14/19(t) light field howitzers. The designation (t) after the numbers stands for Czechoslovakian, indicating that these were captured weapons seized by the German military following the occupation of Czechoslovakia. The German Wehrmacht frequently reused high-quality captured artillery to equip static island defence units like Artillerie-Regiment 319, freeing up standard German weaponry for the front lines.
Weapon Specifications & Deployment
Caliber: 100 mm (10 cm)
Quantity: 4 guns
Maximum Range: Approximately (6.2 miles)
Setup: At the Rue des Bailleuls site in St. Andrew, these howitzers were placed in open field/earthwork positions rather than the massive enclosed concrete casemates seen at heavy coastal batteries.
Because of their 10 km range and inland placement, these guns functioned as divisional field artillery rather than frontline coastal defence. Their primary mission was to fire inland or toward the coast to repel enemy troops and landing craft if they managed to breach the island's primary coastal defences.

Another loverly day down here on our piece of the Atlantic Wall. The museum is open till the end of the month so why not...
14/10/2026

Another loverly day down here on our piece of the Atlantic Wall. The museum is open till the end of the month so why not come down for a visit. Whilst not the largest German structure on the Island, rest assured that the Occupation collection that the museum contains is second to none. Rooms of original artefacts, stories and photos. A fascinating 40 minute commentary that allows you to get a true feeling of what it was like whilst walking through a German bunker built awaiting an Allied invasion.

There are only 20 days left in the museums 2026 season, and the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Why not come dow...
13/10/2026

There are only 20 days left in the museums 2026 season, and the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Why not come down for a visit and view the many original artefacts from the Occupation as well as read some of the fascinating stories as recounted by those who lived through the time.
Our team are on hand to answer any questions you may have about the artefacts or Occupation history. And whilst viewing the displays take note of the Bunker in which it is housed. It would have been right on the front line in the event of an allied invasion on the Island.
For a real feeling of what it felt like at the time, and what remains today of our recent past the museum is well worth a visit.

Monday’s items of interest are a few photos from the Museum collection that were given to us by the German Veteran himse...
12/10/2026

Monday’s items of interest are a few photos from the Museum collection that were given to us by the German Veteran himself.
Egidius (Eddie) Dickmeiss was stationed here in Jersey during the Occupation and was an Unteroffizier (NCO) in 3Kp,Mg.Batt.16.
We first met Eddie in 1990/91 when he visited the Museum whilst on holiday. He was a little hesitant at first in talking about his time here, but went on to say that bunker in which the Museum is housed was where he was in charge and stationed during the Occupation.
Eddie very kindly gave us his soldbuch and wehrpass as well as a number of photos from his time here during a visit to see him in Aachen.
Eddie passed away in 2009, and his story is on display for those who visit to read.
Every photo or document that we can save for the future also allows us a glimpse into the past.
The photo shown below showing Eddie with with an improvised dumbbell above his head was taken just outside the front door of the bunker/Museum.
Just for clarity, the photo of Eddie and myself was taken in his kitchen with him standing on a chair.

Sundays items of interest are a recent acquisition and will be added to the museums paperwork archive. Here we have a f...
11/10/2026

Sundays items of interest are a recent acquisition and will be added to the museums paperwork archive. Here we have a few editions of the Deutsche Guernsey Zeitung and a single copy of the Deutsche Inselzeitung for Jersey.
These newspapers were printed in their respective Islands for the troops stationed there.
Over the years we have always picked up the editions from both Islands that we have come across and now have almost complete sets for both Islands. It would be nice to find the missing editions and or upgrade the condition of some of those we already have.
If you happen to have any to part with , please let us know as we would always be interested.

Below is some further information taken from the internet that may be of interest.

The Deutsche Guernsey-Zeitung (DGZ) was a daily, German-language propaganda newspaper published for the N**i occupying forces on the British Channel Island of Guernsey during World War II.
The paper was launched on July 4, 1942. It ran daily until March 24, 1945, when paper shortages forced it to transition to every two days. Its final issue was printed on May 8, 1945, the day before the island was liberated.
The newssheet was compiled under the guidance of the Seventh Army Propaganda Unit 649. Ironically, it was physically printed by the local island newspaper staff at the Guernsey Press using their printing equipment.
It primarily contained German war updates, N**i propaganda, and notices regarding local troop placements and logistics.
A sister paper, the Deutsche Inselzeitung (German Island Newspaper), served a similar role for the occupying garrison on the neighbouring island of Jersey starting earlier in 1940.
Because the Deutsche Guernsey-Zeitung (DGZ) was printed as a continuous, consecutive daily newssheet rather than in distinct "volumes" or "regional editions," its specific editions are historically identified by their individual Issue Numbers (Ausgaben) and dates.
The paper ran from Issue No. 1 to Issue No. 811+, transitioning through three distinct operational phases.
Issue No. 1 (July 4, 1942): The premiere issue. It featured front-page joint German-Italian war press releases alongside local troop notices, such as soccer matches against the Kriegsmarine and scheduling local beaches for swimming.
Issue No. 199 (February 24, 1943): A well-preserved historical example in circulation among militaria collectors. This represents the standard 2-page format used for most of its run.
Issue No. 252 (April 29, 1943): Another documented historical edition preserved from mid-occupation.
The Final Issues (Late April – May 8, 1945): The last stretch of issues is prominent for carrying desperate "hold out" propaganda directly from Adolf Hi**er to the remaining cut-off island garrisons. The very final edition was printed on May 8, 1945, precisely the day before the British forces liberated the island.]
While content remained focused on military propaganda, the physical makeup of the editions changed due to severe supply shortages.
Daily Phase (July 1942 – March 1945): Issued every single day as a single, double-sided sheet (2 pages).
Alternate-Day Phase (March 24, 1945 – May 1945): Due to critical paper and fuel shortages on the island, the paper was cut down to printing every two days.

Open everyday until the 1st of November. Then Sunday mornings over the winter from 10am till 1pm.Real history on display...
10/10/2026

Open everyday until the 1st of November. Then Sunday mornings over the winter from 10am till 1pm.
Real history on display in a German coastal defence bunker sitting on Hi**er’s Atlantic Wall.

This identity disc and sleeve patch were behind after the German Occupation of Jersey. They belonged to men from the 2.K...
09/10/2026

This identity disc and sleeve patch were behind after the German Occupation of Jersey. They belonged to men from the 2.Kp Ost.Btl 643, which was part of Gren Rgt.582 of the 319 I.D.
The unit Feldpost number was FP26631 and the Officer in charge was Major Raunecke and were based on the north coast of the Island.
These Russian/Ukrainians swapped sides after capture in Russia and went on to join the Russian Army of Liberation and wore the arm shield with ROA/POA on it. The locals referred to these soldiers as "Pals of Adolf".
At the end of the Occupation these men would have been really keen to totally dissasociate themselves as having been a willing member of the German armed forces and this is how perhaps these items came to be left here. At Liberation time a Russian Officer, Major Gruzdev arrived in the Island to round up any "Russians" and repatriate them to the Motherland whether they were ex wehrmacht or hidden slave workers...both would have been sent to the Gulag or just shot out of hand.
Just a small piece of our Islands history that has been saved for the future, if only it could talk.

Thursdays items of interest are a rarely found item here in Jersey of German medical kit. These Reichmittel tins and con...
08/10/2026

Thursdays items of interest are a rarely found item here in Jersey of German medical kit.
These Reichmittel tins and contents have rarely turned up here although there must have been loads in medical kits and aid stations. One tin is complete and contains its
Riechampullen (Inhalation/smelling ampoules), packaged in small sets (such as Menthol-Eucalyptus ampules) to revive exhausted, shell-shocked, or faint soldiers on the front lines.
The other tin just contains the ampoules without the woven protective cover to each ampoule.

Below is some further information taken from the internet which may be of interest.

Riechmittel
These are metal and/or cardboard boxes, containing glass vials containing a liquid generally based on ammonia, lavender, ether and chloroform.
Their purpose, in principle, was to induce vomiting in case of intoxication, arouse from unconsciousness and, depending on the composition of the liquid, also had the property of treating skin irritations.
These packs, however, were more a sanitary equipment than a real personal equipment of the soldier, but the fact remains that these packs and vials are fully part of the discourse, albeit wide-ranging, of the defence against toxic gases.

Wednesday’s items of interest are these photos that have just been picked up. There are about 120 photos of Jersey and G...
07/10/2026

Wednesday’s items of interest are these photos that have just been picked up. There are about 120 photos of Jersey and Guernsey featuring a Luftwaffe flak unit.
These will be scanned and added to the Museums digital data base and the original images will be mounted and files for safe keeping. Original photos are always of interest as they often add to what is already known and help to build up a better picture of the Occupation.
Please get in touch if you have or know of any photos or documents that are out there from the Occupation of the Channel Islands as they would be a great addition to the museum’s archive.

06/10/2026

The Museum is open 7 days a week until the 1st of November from 10am.
Whilst not in a vast sprawling concrete structure, the Museum has a truly comprehensive collection of original Occupation artefacts all displayed in German bunker which is situated right on top of the Atlantic Wall.
For an interesting, informative and inexpensive look at the German Occupation come on down and visit the Museum.

Address

Grande Route Des Mielles
Saint Ouen
JE32FN

Opening Hours

Monday 10:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 10:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 10:00 - 17:00
Thursday 10:00 - 17:00
Friday 10:00 - 17:00
Saturday 10:00 - 17:00
Sunday 10:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+447797732072

Website

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