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Alderney Homecoming memories: 75 years on

The first group of families returned to Alderney on 15 December 1945 after being evacuated to England in 1940.

The occupying German forces heavily fortified the island as part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall and built the only concentration camp on British soil.

Seven months on from the island's liberation there was still a lot of devastation.

15 December 2020

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Funeral of Ivor Gardner

Wiltshire D-Day veteran dies aged 104

Big Ben strikes 11 on the first Remembrance Sunday in 1946

Watch: The first official Remembrance Sunday in 1946

Paratroopers leap off plane

Watch: Hundreds of paratroopers leap to mark daring WW2 offensive

A public air raid shelter from World War Two. There are benches running the lenght of it and a stirrup pump can be seen in the foreground on one of them. Light is coming through a rectangular door of light is at the end.

Restored WW2 bunker reopens for Heritage Open Days

Walter sits in a black jacket and white shirt. He wears a stripy tie and has medals on the jacket.

Walter Wilson: 'I painted crosses for the dead'

Hector sits looking off camera. He wears a black jumper over the top of a checked shirt.

Hector McDonald: 'You didn't realise the danger you were in'

BBC reporter Faye Kidd standing with an umbrella in a rock-filled crater

Watch: Aftermath of WW2 bomb explosion

Northern Ireland

a keep out sign on a fence

'Chaotic' few days after WW2 bomb discovered

Northern Ireland

Archive image: former London ambulanceman Mark Bailey stands outside ‘Wendy’

World War Two ambulance preserved for years to come

Centenaria Hilda Leggett sitting in an amrchair in front of a pink birthday cake in the shape of the numbers 110

'Strong-willed' woman celebrates 110th birthday

Veteran Harold Terens and his wife Jeanne

'Love isn't just for young people': D-Day veteran, 100, weds bride, 96

Split screen with Joe Biden and Ronald Reagan

What two US presidents said at D-Day, 40 years apart

President Zelensky kneels to speak to a veteran in a wheelchair

Zelensky and D-Day veteran call each other 'hero'

Veteran Ed Berthold

Veteran reads D-Day letter he sent home in 1944

Robert "Al" Persichitti

'I'm excited to be going' said US veteran before D-Day trip

Reg Pye meets Princess Anne

D-Day veteran, 100, revisits Normandy 80 years on

HMS Belfast

On board HMS Belfast for D-Day anniversary

World War Two veteran Richard Aldred

Richard Aldred: ‘I buried two of my mates’

D-Day veteran Don Jones

Don Jones: 'We weren't heroes'

World War Two veteran Bruce McIntosh

Bruce McIntosh: 'I was right in the middle of it'

Beechcraft Bonanza generic

Historical airplane takes flight in Air Rally

George Brennan & Mark Bendurry discuss the history of their 1956 Beechcraft G35 Bonanza

Boats and barges in Beaucette Marina, Guernsey

'Life on a barge is really cosy and homely'

Jayne Willis has been living on the barge for two years after selling her home on land.

Two people sat round a table with pictures and books

Renewed call for WW2 'Robin Hood' police pardon

Guernsey families renew call for pardon for WW2 'Robin Hood' police officers.

Football game being played

Guernsey FC virtual boss aiming for Premier League

One YouTuber is trying to get Guernsey FC to the Premier League in the game Football Manager.

Horse and carriage

Island without cars looking for carriage drivers

A Sark firm finds it difficult to recruit horse and carriage drivers since Covid and Brexit.

Graphic of 999 control room

Listen: Colby, 5, makes life-saving 999 call

A five-year-old boy has been praised for calling 999 after his mother collapsed.

Machinery on shipwreck

Steamship wreck identified after 140 years

The ship was taking machinery from England to Russia when it was lost in the English Channel.

Fireworks in Plymouth

Winning display from British Fireworks Championships

Sonic Fireworks, which was competing for the first time, won the event with its 10-minute display.

Jubilee Beacon in Guernsey

Jubilee Beacons lit across Bailiwick of Guernsey

Fires were lit across Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm to mark the Queen's 70-year reign.

Wildlife photographs

Wildlife photography shows lockdown art

Photographs give an insight into Bailiwick wildlife - including marine life, birds and insects.

Breakwater

Storm Eunice: Gusts of 72mph recorded in Alderney

Waves crash over the Alderney Breakwater as Storm Eunice brings high winds to the islands.

Recycling bags

Kerbside recycling helps Sark cut burning of waste

Recyclable products are now being taken to Guernsey for processing.

Boy sailing

'Sailing has helped my son with his grief'

Being on the sea is the "light in the darkness" for a boy dealing with his mother's death.

St Martin memorial

Parish memorial remembers war dead

It is the first time St Martin has had a memorial for those from the parish who died in World War Two.

Pulling car

Two men pull car 26.9 miles in charity challenge

It took Philip Smith and Warren Mauger nine hours and 16 minutes to complete the challenge.

Pavilion

Japanese pavilion given new lease of life

The building at Saumarez Park has been restored after falling into disrepair.

Victor Hugo Statue

Victor Hugo novel inspires new sculpture

The new artwork features the author, an octopus and drawings from the novel Toilers of the Sea.

Gannet

Camera helps public become gannet researchers

People can watch live shots of the Les Etacs gannet colony and report anything of interest.

Bomb exploding

World War Two bomb detonated

Local divers in Guernsey found the bomb in the seabed on Tuesday.

One therory for the increase is reduced marine traffic in the bailiwick during the pandemic.

'Huge rise' in dolphin sightings around Guernsey

A reduction in marine traffic could be one of the reasons behind the increased dolphin activity.