Papers
The German Occupation and Channel Islands Freemasonry
Presented to
Holy City Lodge No 4
Jerusalem, Israel
Holocaust Memorial Day Eve
April 17, 2023
By Brother Eliyahu Parker
I have a rule about the Holocaust. I wasn’t there. I make no judgments about what any victim of Nazi Occupation did at the time, or thereafter.
“... the Jewish influence through the stock exchange grows with terrifying speed. He becomes the owner, or at least the controller, of the national labour force.
For the strengthening of his political position he tries to pull down the racial and civil barriers which at first still restrain him at every step. For this purpose he fights with all his innate thoroughness for religious tolerance — and in the completely deteriorated Freemasonry he has an excellent instrument for fighting out and also for 'putting over’ his aims. By the strings of Freemasonry the circles of the government and the higher layers of the political and economic bourgeoisie fall into his nets without their even guessing this.”
Adolf Hitler, Mein Kamph[1]
“If, for example, out of false compassion, every German should make an exception for “only one decent” Jew or Freemason whom he knows, we would end up with 60 million such exceptions.” Reinhard Heydrich, Head of the SS. [2]
In 1938 Hitler's own publishing house, issued a volume on "Freemasonry, Its World View (Weltanschauung), Organization and Policies".
The book itself, by one Dieter Schwarz, discloses that every new Nazi member must "confirm by his word of honour that he does not belong to a Masonic lodge." In outlining the official Nazi (policy) on the subject, it says in part:
"Nordic is the Nazi conception of the world, Jewish-Oriental that of the Freemasons; in contrast to the anti-racial attitude of the lodges, the Nazi attitude is race conscious... Masonic lodges are... associations of men who, closely bound together in a union employing symbolical usages, represent a supra-national spiritual movement, the idea of Humanity... a general association of mankind, without distinction of races, peoples, religions, social and political convictions."[3]
“A small group of islands, the British Channel Islands are situated from 15 to 45 kilometres off the French coast. The total land area is approximately 120 square kilometres, with the largest islands being Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark. William the Conqueror, as Duke of Normandy, united the Channel Islands with England in 1066. English control over the Islands remained unbroken until the Second World War, when they were occupied by German forces for a duration of five years” . [4]
On the 20th of June 1940, the last British troops left the Channel Islands after the British Government decided that defending them was untenable. The next day, the Lieutenant Governors of both Jersey and Guernsey returned to the United Kingdom, leaving the Bailiffs in charge. The Bailiffs were, and are, The Chief Justices in each of the Channel Island Governments. Additionally, they serve as president of the legislature, known as The States, and have ceremonial and executive functions. “The States, or Legislative Assembly, is the local parliament, and has power to make, amend, and repeal laws”.[5] The evacuation of both the troops and the White Hall Civil Servants took place in a very haphazard manner. The British government was, understandably, occupied with the Fall of France and the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk.
In order to guard British honour, a decision was made by the Home Office not to announce the evacuation and demilitarisation of the islands. On the 28th of June, the Germans bombed the Islands, killing 34 civilians. Only on the 30th of June was the German government officially informed that the islands had been demilitarised. That same day, German Army troops arrived on the island of Guernsey. By the 3rd of July, Germany had occupied all of the Channel Islands, without firing a shot (after the bombing). [6]
“Speculative Freemasonry came to Jersey (and the other Channel Islands) through the military garrisons stationed there who happened to be in possession of travelling Warrants enabling them to meet together. But they made no real impact as military lodges were not permitted to initiate local inhabitants and it was not until 1765 that the first lodge in Jersey was formed. By the time of the Union (of the Antients and Moderns to form the United Grand Lodge of England) in 1813 there were traces of at least 16 military lodges in Jersey and three local lodges. Two of those, Yarborough Lodge No. 244 and the Duke of Normandy Lodge No. 245 still survive.”[7]
In 1864, there were less than 120 Freemasons on Jersey when they consecrated a new Temple. It was large enough to seat 150 in comfort, together with an equally large dining room, a Chapter room and several smaller rooms, plus a library, museum and committee rooms. The building of such a “large” Temple took place due to the foresight of Provincial Grand Master James John Hammond.
On the 8th of July, the German Occupiers issued a proclamation that, amongst other things, left The States in place to act as a rubber stamp for German Orders. They registered the Orders of the German Occupiers into the Royal Court, thereby making them “local law.” “Out of nine Ant-Jewish Measures ordered by the German Army of Occupation of France, four Orders were registered in the Royal Court of Jersey.”[8] “There was one issue over which the Guernsey government was prepared to protest. Bailiff Carey, (himself a Freemason)[9] in a rare exertion, sent a long memo to the Feldkommadnantur pleading that the Masons on Guernsey be exempted because, unlike in France, they were ‘apolitical and all political discussions are banned… If nevertheless the exigencies of War require the dissolution of the Guernsey Lodges and the disposal of their property, I suggest this should be effected by German Order rather than by local legislation… It would be a lot of ask those members of the legislature who are Freemasons to violate their undertakings by voting their associations out of existence.’”[10] His plea was unsuccessful. In October, Freemasonry was banned. Based on assurances given by the Germans, the Freemasons left everything in the Lodges. Most of the Masons kept their personal regalia in the cloak rooms of the Lodges.
On January 27, 1941, approximately 60 Germans from Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, the special SS force set up to gather Judaica and Masonic materials throughout the Occupied Countries, sacked the Jersey Masonic Hall. “Books and smaller articles were stowed into large packing cases and three 3-ton lorry loads were seen to be dispatched, after which the furniture was loaded loosely on other lorries. They included the magnificent Master’s Chair, two Warden’s Chairs and other State Chairs, the Pedestals, the columns B and J, kneeling stools, Tracing Boards, Banners, carpets, curtains, etc. etc.”[11] In addition, a bonfire was maintained in the Lodge courtyard for three days. Countless unknown documents and artefacts were lost.
The items were shipped to Berlin. In the March 12th 1941 Issue of the Volkischer Beobachter, published in Berlin, and in the March 15th 1941 Issue of the Brusseler Zeitung published in Brussels, articles were printed describing an anti-Masonic exhibition staged in Berlin under the direct orders of notorious Jew-baiter, Reich Leader Alfred Rosenberg using items looted from Jersey and Guernsey earlier in the year. He was eventually tried at Nuremberg and executed for his war crimes.
“The looting of the Masonic Halls in Jersey and Guernsey was an integral part of the machinery of Nazi anti-Masonic propaganda as the articles in the newspapers referred to show quite clearly. The articles were aimed to prove that Freemasons in close alliance with International Jewry were fostering and deliberately expanding British world power; they contained such statements as:
“The mystic darkness of Freemasonry has ceased to be a darkness long since. These secrets have been brought to light; since 1933 the intrigues of the lodges have come to an end. It is all the more instructive when the world, and especially we Germans, are now being shown that the entire Freemasonry is an organisation created and expanded deliberately by England, fostering the ultimate aim of promoting and strengthening British world power. The close alliance with international Jewry was the safest way to obtain this. The instructive show which has now been opened in Berlin, by order of Reich Leader Alfred Rosenberg, is based on the comprehensive Masonic material originating from the lodges of the British Island of Jersey…. And now we stand in the Holy of Holies, the great Temple of the Lodge of Jersey, created here in the original, showing the seat of the Master of the Lodge, his Deputy and of his Assistant. In front of the altar with the Bible and master(s) hammer (gavel) and before it the ark of the covenant (kneeling stool)”.[12]
During my research into this fascinating subject, I came across the original, uncut propaganda film. One can clearly see Prince of Wales Lodge No 1002 in the film. There is also a closeup of Provincial Grand Rank Officer’s Apron and Gauntlet Cuffs along with much related regalia. The film shows actors acting as if they were citizens off the street being amazed by the evil ways of “English Freemasonry.” Due to Allied bombing and the general chaos in Berlin at the end of the War, almost everything was lost. Over the years several pieces of Masonic Regalia have made their way home to the Provincial Grand Lodges of Guernsey and Jersey.
I can find no record of any Freemason being deported from The Channel Islands because he was a Freemason. The question that has been asked since the War is, “Why?” I have read several answers to this question. My “favourite” theory is that Commander in Chief of the British Channel Islands German forces until February of 1945, General Rudolph Graf von Schmettow had Masonic sympathies. The theory is that General Schmettow was related to the family of Schmettau, who were “prominent in Freemasonry in Germany in the mid-18th century. There are several references to the family in Gould’s History of Freemasonry.”[13] This theory is greatly expanded upon in The Sacking of the Masonic Temple in Jersey by the Nazis in 1941 by Right Worshipful Brother Dennis G. Perrin, Past Provincial Grand Secretary of Jersey
I believe that the more likely answer is related to realpolitik. The Germans were sure that England would fall to them as easily as the rest of Western Europe had. Both they, and the Islands local governments, had an interest in presenting A Model Occupation. The German Army troops were on their best behaviour. Very few of the atrocities associated with German Occupation were present in the Channel Islands. Because Freemasons held so many positions of power in the Islands, had they been deported, the Model Occupation that both the Germans and the Islanders wanted would not have been feasible.
By contrast, in the rest of the Third Riech, somewhere between 80,000 and 200,000 Freemasons died as a direct result of Nazi persecution. They were forced to wear an upside down red triangle on their concentration camp uniforms. Freemasonry in Germany and Eastern Europe was effectively wiped out.
Whenever a hateful philosophy that does not see our fellow humans as brethren is put forward, we, as Freemasons and students of History must actively oppose it.
[1] Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945. (1999). Mein Kampf. Boston :Houghton Mifflin
[2] Das Schwarze Korps, 1935.
[3] Smith,Gary. (2021) FREEMASONRY AND THE HOLOCAUST Retrieved from https://www.westlancsfreemasons.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/All-groups-FREEMASONRY-AND-THE-HOLOCAUST-Paper.pdf
[4] Alvarez, Jose E.,(1981) German Occupation of the Channel Islands 1940 - 1945,[Unpublished dissertation] Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida June 1981
[5] Mollet, R. (1945) Jersey Under The Swastika. London, UK. The Hyperion Press Ltd. p 10
[6] Buntin, M. (2004) The Model Occupation: The Channel Islands Under German Rule 1940-1945. London, UK. Pimlico
[7] Perrin, D. (1993) The Sacking of the Masonic Temple in Jersey by the Nazis in 1941. Surrey, UK. Lewis Masonic Books p 17 & 25
[8] Mollet, R. (1945) Jersey Under The Swastika. London, UK. The Hyperion Press Ltd. p 62
[9] Sanders, Paul. (2005) THE BRITISH CHANNEL ISLANDS UNDER GERMAN OCCUPATION ‒ 1940-1945 Jersey, Channel Islands. Jersey Heritage Trust
[10] Buntin, M. (2004) The Model Occupation: The Channel Islands Under German Rule 1940-1945. London, UK. Pimlico, p. 96
[11] Perrin, D. (1993) The Sacking of the Masonic Temple in Jersey by the Nazis in 1941. Surrey, UK. Lewis Masonic Books, P 30
[12] Perrin, D. (1993) The Sacking of the Masonic Temple in Jersey by the Nazis in 1941. Surrey, UK. Lewis Masonic Books, P 43
[13] Perrin, D. (1993) The Sacking of the Masonic Temple in Jersey by the Nazis in 1941. Surrey, UK. Lewis Masonic Books, P 62