Discover life in Guernsey under Axis occupation
Delve into our new and exclusive Guernsey Collection to unearth incredible tales of wartime resilience and survival #VEDay80
Find your family in Guernsey’s wartime records
Online for the first time, German occupation ID and order documents, evacuee return forms, and the Channel Islands Monthly Review newsletter tell the definitive story of wartime life in Guernsey.
What poignant stories will you unearth?
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Delve deeper into Guernsey’s rich past
The everyday ups and downs. The local heroes. The milestone moments.
Findmypast’s Guernsey Collection charts nearly half a millennium of the trials, triumphs and traditions that define the Bailiwick.
From essential family tree information to German occupation and liberation, historical records, photos and newspapers help you understand Guernsey’s heritage and culture like never before.
This unique collection comprises records from across the Bailiwick of Guernsey, including Alderney and Sark. Combined with our resources from Jersey, it makes Findmypast the go-to destination for exploring Channel Islands family and local history.
Get started with your Guernsey family tree
Our online family tree builder is the quickest, most enriching way to trace your ancestors and their amazing stories.
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Begin with the relatives you know - we’ll help you fill in the gaps
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We'll look for your relatives in our Guernsey records and beyond, then send you hints when we find something
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Find family connections in millions of Findmypast members’ family trees
“My Dad never talked about the war, so I’m very grateful to have these amazing records from Findmypast to understand more about his experiences. It’s so moving to see his face on his ID form – he’s so young and thin – it brings it all to life for me and my family.”
Geoff De Carteret
“Vivid memories of my childhood living through the German Occupation remain with me today. I am overwhelmed to discover Findmypast now offers incredible insight into my extended family, many of whom I never knew existed.”
June Money
“These occupation records bring my family members alive again for me. I had not seen the photo of my mother before, nor anything of Dad’s sister Gertrude. They are important records I can pass on to my sister and our families”
Richard De La Rue
Remarkable discoveries await
Childhood memories. New connections. Legacies preserved forever. The Guernsey Collection unlocks emotional, real-life family stories.
Your Guernsey family history understood
Spanning over 400 years, rich details of the people, places and events that have shaped the Bailiwick of Guernsey’s unique cultural identity are online for the first time, only at Findmypast.
Bailiwick of Guernsey Parish Baptismsarrow_forward
Bailiwick of Guernsey Parish Marriagesarrow_forward
Bailiwick of Guernsey Parish Burialsarrow_forward
Bailiwick of Guernsey Civil Birthsarrow_forward
Bailiwick of Guernsey Civil Marriagesarrow_forward
Bailiwick of Guernsey Civil Deathsarrow_forward
1827 Guernsey Censusarrow_forward
Guernsey Cemetery Registersarrow_forward
Guernsey Land Recordsarrow_forward
Guernsey Wills and Probatearrow_forward
Guernsey School Recordsarrow_forward
Guernsey Court Recordsarrow_forward
Guernsey Prison Registersarrow_forward
Guernsey Poor Reliefarrow_forward
Guernsey Poor Relief Board Minutesarrow_forward
Guernsey Relief for Stranger Poor Registerarrow_forward
Guernsey Hospital and Asylum Recordsarrow_forward
Guernsey Passenger Listsarrow_forward
Guernsey Identity Registration Forms (German Occupation) 1940-1945 arrow_forward
Guernsey Evacuee Wish to Return Formsarrow_forward
Guernsey German Occupation Orders arrow_forward
Channel Islands Monthly Review 1940-1945arrow_forward
Guernsey Monumental Inscriptionsarrow_forward
Get closer to everyday life in Guernsey during the Second World War
The Channel Islands stood alone. The only part of the British Isles occupied by the Germans during the Second World War. Long winters, no work, little hope. Discover what life was really like with our specially curated Collections.
The evacuation of Guernsey
Forced to flee at a moment's notice, islanders were separated, uncertain if they'd ever reunite.
The Channel Islands under German occupation
Isolation, scrutiny and fear. A harsh day-to-day existence faced the citizens left behind.
Our partners
In partnership with Priaulx Library, Island Archives, Greffe, La Societe Guernesiaise Family History Group and local parish churches, collectively known as the Bailiwick of Guernsey Digitisation Partnership, this landmark project brings over 1.7 million searchable records online for the first time, only at Findmypast.
Collaborating with local teams on the island, digitisation took over a year and captured over 200,000 images of invaluable documents, including parish registers, civil registers, court books, wills, and land records.
