THE SARK RAID

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 265, 8 October 1942, Page 5

THE SARK RAID

GERMAN METHODS' EXPOSED. (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 7. A Combined Operations Headquarters communique, dealing with the raid on Sark, which throws into grim relief the German methods of the wholesale deportation of forced labour from occupied territory, states: "A small-scale raid was made on Saturday night on the Island of Sark._ It Avas one of many such operations which have been successfully and frequently carried out, and about which nothing normally is said, but since the enemy, from ulterior motives, announced the raid, with the addition of inaccurate details, the facts are now issued.

The main purpose of this raid was to obtain first-hand information. As the result these suspicions have been confirmed by the seizure of a proclamation signed Knack fuss, Oberstfeld Commandant. This states that all male civilians not born in the Channel Islands, or not permanently resident there, who were between the ages of 16 and 70 have been deported to Germany, with their families. This deportation occurred last week at the shortest notice, and 900 men have been conscripted from Guernsey. Four hundred are still to go, and it is expected that there will be more from Jersey than from Guernsey. Eleven Sark men were warned to go last week but two committed suicide.

The total British raiding force consisted of 10 officers and men. There were no casualties. , Five prisoners were taken and four who attempted to escape were shot. The other confirmed the deportations and said that they were for forced labour.—Official Wireless.