Probe launched to expose horrors of Hitler's only concentration camp in Britain

The Nazi concentration camp, which still remains on British soil, will finally be investigated as part of an official government inquiry, revealing details of horrific acts that took place inside it, reported the Observer.

Almost 80 years after one of the darkest incidents in the history of Britain unfolded, the country will be conducting a review of multiple prisoners who were brutally killed on Alderney, a tiny Channel Islands, by the Nazis.

It is now known that two of the camps were established by the SS (Schutzstaffel, or Protection Squads) during the second world war, and over the recent years, fresh evidence of the scale of barbarity carried out by the Nazis on the island has emerged.

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Thousands murdered, many buried in mass graves

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There is no clarity over the number of victims as some claim thousands were murdered with many people buried in mass graves on the island.

Welcoming the review, Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, whose father fled Nazi persecution in Germany, said, “It is time for the British government and Alderney authorities to finally face up to the horror of what happened on British soil. There can be no more lies and no more cover-up.”

UK’s Holocaust envoy Lord Pickles will announce the expert review later this summer and the government is hoping the controversy surrounding the scale of the Holocaust on Alderney will finally end with the investigation.

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Turning back thepages of history

Speaking to the Observer, Lord Pickles said, “The difference between the estimates is so large, I thought it sensible for everyone to put the facts on the table, for it all to be transparent and for the deliberations to be in the open. It seemed pointless people shouting across at each other. It would be better to have a proper discussion and to bring together a panel of international experts.”

The announcement was made as the UK makes preparations to take over the chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), which will see the participation of government officials from 35 nations around the world and a network of experts.

IHRA Secretary General Dr Kathrin Meyer, speaking to the Observer, said: “This inquiry is a significant step toward telling this important history. Dealing openly and accurately with the Holocaust and the history of the Nazi persecution of other groups in all its dimensions is crucial and we expect the results to go a long way in protecting the facts, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.”

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