The Channel Islands were added to the Southern Region in May 1945. By instruction of the Minister, the D.R.I.O. was sent to the Islands on May 29th to ascertain the needs of the Islanders for the services of the Ministry of Information and to report on the possibility of setting up a temporary office in Jersey or Guernsey.
The report was submitted in due course and, following a conference under the Chairmanship of the D.D.G., a scheme of service was approved. Thanks to the experience gained in the rest of the Region, the opportunity presented itself for a model scheme, i.e., eliminating L.I.Cs. and a duplication of contacts. The States officials were approached in the Islands of Jersey and Guernsey and the suggestion made that they should nominate someone to be an official Honorary representative of the Ministry for the respective Islands, so that all activities could be canalised through one person who would have the confidence and approval of the States, in this way assuring official encouragement of all the Ministry's activities. Two excellent men were nominated and both received from the D.D.G. a letter of appointment as Honorary representatives of the Ministry.
The first activity was to send a mobile film unit to tour the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Sark. All available literature, posters, photographs, etc., covering every phase of the war were despatched to the Islands and were distributed through the two honorary representatives acting in the closest collaboration with the States librarians. So much was this appreciated that at St. Helier a special fortnight’s exhibition of war photographs was arranged in the Church House. Headquarters’ speakers followed and the one touring Jersey, Mt. Harold Gibson, must have had an experience unique for M.O.I. speakers. Speaking at the Town Hall in St. Helier, he found that the Town Hall was linked by a loud-speaker relay system throughout the Island, so that he had probably the widest and certainly the most scattered audience addressed by an M.O.I. speaker.
Every effort was made to compensate for the gap in information caused by the occupation of the Islands by German troops. Within a fortnight of the word “Go” the Islands were receiving the same M.O.I. service as the rest of the Region.
The Islanders proved very appreciative, and the States officials have expressed their gratitude for the service of the Ministry of Information.
