Did you know the role the Channel Islands played in the French Resistance?
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Charles de Gaulle speaking from a hotel balcony in liberated Cherbourg
(Photo: U.S. Army)
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General Charles de Gaulle was the icon of French resilience during World War II. The most junior French general and a junior government official when the war broke out, he escaped to Britain during the Fall of France and formed a government-in-exile. Over the years, he became the leader of the Free French forces fighting on the Allied side, the link between French Resistance (Factions of the Resistance – Part I ) and the Allied war effort, and the first president of post-war France. What you probably didn’t know is that the Channel Islands (The Channel Islands in WWII), a small archipelago overseen by the United Kingdom, played a role in the flight to Britain that made de Gaulle the historical figure he was.
By mid-June 1940, France was irreversibly crumbling under the German invasion. The Dunkirk evacuation (The “Miracle of Dunkirk”) had already taken place, and British and French troops were still being rescued from other coastal locations. On June 16, de Gaulle, acting as Undersecretary of War in the French government, flew to London to discuss the continuation of war with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The French government and military were split into two factions. One, the ”defeatists,” thought the war was over and surrender was the only option. The other group, which de Gaulle was a vocal member of, wanted the French military to retreat to France’s colonial territories in North Africa and continue the fight.
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Charles de Gaulle (right) with Churchill in 1944
(Photo: Imperial War Museums)
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De Gaulle flew back to the French city of Bordeaux later in the afternoon and was given dreadful news on arrival: Prime Minister Paul Reynaud resigned during the day and was replaced by General Philippe Pétain, the most prominent of the defeatist faction. De Gaulle felt he was no longer safe in France; also, his conscience prodded him to continue resistance in any way he could. It seems from historical records that he met Reynaud sometime in the afternoon or evening and the former prime minister gave him both his blessings to flee to Britain and form a government-in-exile, as well as a stash of cash to support the first steps. It was after this meeting, still in the same office building, that de Gaulle came upon British General Edward Spears, Churchill’s personal representative to the French prime minister. Spears was planning to return to Britain the next day and offered to take de Gaulle with him.
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Generals Spears and de Gaulle in London after their flight
(Photo: resistancefrancais.blogspot.com)
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The next morning de Gaulle and his aide-de-camp drove with Spears to the airfield, ostensibly to see him off. The ruse was meticulous: Spears boarded his plane, and de Gaulle even pretended to wave goodbye to him until the last moment, when he and his aide-de-camp quickly sprinted up and ducked into the plane.
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A de Havilland Flamingo, the type of plane that carried de Gaulle to Britain
(Photo: jerseyheritage.tv)
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The de Havilland Flamingo flew north, but did not have enough fuel to make it to Britain. It’s been suggested that a planned refueling stop in France was refused by the authorities. Whatever happened, the plane’s only chance to make it was to make an unscheduled stop at Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of France. The landing was far from safe, as half the island was covered in fog, and the other half had cloud cover as low as 150 feet (46 m) in some places.
The plane landed safely, and Spears and de Gaulle took shelter in the largely deserted airport building, only populated by a few mechanics and a pretty woman in charge of the canteen. Spears asked de Gaulle if he wanted anything, and the Frenchman asked for a cup of coffee. What happened next is best relayed with Spears’s own words: “I handed it to him, whereupon taking a sip, he said in a voice which indicated that without implying criticism, he must nevertheless proclaim the truth that this was tea, and he’d asked for coffee. It was his first introduction to the tepid liquid which in England passes for either one or the other. His martyrdom had begun.”
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Jersey airport later in the war, during German occupation
(Photo: Bundesarchiv)
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After finishing the drink of dubious quality and provenance, the men returned to the plane and continued the flight that launched de Gaulle to historic fame.
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On the occasion of the upcoming 78th birthday of the United States Air Force, we are offering exclusive discounts. We give you 22% off for 2026, and 33% off for 2027, if you pay in full until September 18, 2025. The tour price is refundable up until 90 days before departure. This offer is valid only for new bookings and cannot be combined with other promotions.
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