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British island of Alderney remembers 65 years of freedom from the Nazis

Alderney is celebrating 65 years of freedom since it was used for German concentration camps during World War II.

A Homecoming Day community service is being held at 1100 GMT at Braye Harbour involving all the island's churches and St Anne's School choir.

Co-ordinator Barbara Benfield said it would end with Charlie Greenslade playing the same cornet he played to welcome islanders home in 1945.

"[It's] very emotional," she said.

In June 1940 the population of Alderney, about 1,400, gathered at Les Butes to be officially told France had fallen to the German armed forces.

They were told the islands were being demilitarized and they had to decide whether to stay or go.

All but a handful evacuated the island ahead of the Occupation, which started at the end of June, carrying only what they could fit in their arms.

The Germans deported those left behind to Guernsey and after heavily fortifying the island, as part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall, began work on building four concentration camps....
Read entire article at BBC News