Barnett, Gwendoline Morfydd (Oral history)

British civilian teacher in St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GB, 9/1939-9/1942; internee in Stalag VI J, Dorsten, 10/1942-11/1942 and Ilag V B, Biberach, Germany, 11/1942-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, 1922-1939: family; education; appointment as student teacher. Recollections of period as teacher in St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, 9/1939-91942: belief that Guernsey would not be directly involved in the conflict; evacuation of Guernsey schools; question of family evacuation; German bombing of harbour at St Peter Port, 28/6/1940; attitude towards behaviour of German occupying troops; registration of schoolchildren to continue education; difficulties faced in continuing children’s’ education; question of fraternisation with and resistance to Germans; obtaining school supplies from France; conditions for forced labourers; milk supplied to children. REEL 2 Continues: opinion of Controlling Committee; islanders’ use of illicit radios; problems with obtaining footwear; church services; curfew; visiting Sark; background to deportation with family, 27/9/1942. Aspects of period as internee in Stalag VI J, Dorsten, Germany, 30/10/1942-11/11/1942: nature of journey to camp, 27/9/1942-30/9/1942; description of camp; conditions. Recollections of period as internee in Ilag V B, Biberach, Germany, 13/11/1942-12/4/1945: train journey from Dorsten to Biberach, 11/11/1942-13/11/1942; procedure on arrival; accommodation and other inmates; rations; Red Cross parcels. REEL 3 Continues: conditions in camp; relations between internees; lack of requirement to work; setting up camp school; question of contrast in education provided in camp than in GB; value of teaching experience in camp; walking in Black Forest; relations with camp guards; Christmas celebrations; receiving parcels from GB; opinion of British camp leader; arrival of Dutch Jews and Libyans; communicating with GB and Guernsey; state of health. REEL 4 Continues: health of children; degree of war news received; visits to optician and dentist in Biberach; liberation of camp, 12/4/1945; flight to GB, 29/5/1945-30/5/1945. Aspects of return to Guernsey, Channel Islands, GB, 12/1945: background to return to island, 12/1945; theft of family property; impact of occupation on island life; question of collaboration during occupation. Story of spending 21st birthday in Ilag V B, Biberach, Germany, 23/6/1943. Attitude towards interment during Second World War.