This documentary is a follow-up to an earlier one about Treblinka. The focus here is on concentration/work camps located on one of the 3 channel islands, called Alderley Island. It was the site of several work camps used for primarily Russian prisoners who were building the "Atlantic Wall" as a defense against an allied invasion. The issue at question is whether or not mass executions occurred on the island. The team goes to Germany to search the records (that remain) and do various types of non-invasive testing to see whether or not there was a cover-up. Strangely enough the islanders who live there now refuse to allow any excavations, though there is no evidence or even suggestion that the islanders were involved in the executions. Along the way we learned that there were literally thousands of work camps like this.
9 Reviews
Not to be trusted!
Temac28 August 2019
Apart from the presenter being thoroughly unlikeable and unprofessional, this documentary was more like a work of fiction.
From a scan with ground penetrating radar, she deduces a whole raft of 'facts' that can only be confirmed by excavation which she does not do. Not even one small exploratory trench.
Until the whole site is examined by respected archaeologists from respected Universities, this programme must be regarded as very suspect.
Lacking in charm
nedcrouch25 August 2019
There was no context given in this documentary. I was unaware of the issue, so I was very interested in context. I tuned in a bit late, but the presenter never mentioned where the island was, but refered to as "on British soil." Nowhere did I see or hear that "Adolph Island" was in the Channel Islands off the French coast. At no time did the presenter mention that during WWII, the Channel Islands were evacuated of British citizens because Britain could not defend them against Nazi occupation. The impression I was left with was that somehow Britain had colluded with the Nazis. The final straw was that she slammed the authorities of Alderney for their lack of cooperation. As an archaeologist, I would never slam my hosts like that. The hosts are allowing the archaeological study to proceed, and there are always restrictions. Her snide comments were unprofessional.
Too american
mr-carsten21 December 2021
It is way to americanized and sensationalized.
And why call it Adolf Island? What a stupid title.
I think the "host" is quite anoying, and somehow they manage to make the islanders the bad guy. And why not dig deeper ind why they dont vant the place to be excavated?
And why call it Adolf Island? What a stupid title.
I think the "host" is quite anoying, and somehow they manage to make the islanders the bad guy. And why not dig deeper ind why they dont vant the place to be excavated?
What have the people of Alderney got to hide
auntyloo10 August 2020
This forensic archaeology team, who are world leaders in finding and giving back names and humanity to thousands who went missing. People of Alderney were unbelievably nasty and secretive. Their ghosts will never go away until these people are given back their names, identities and stories, and until they get a proper burial. With such narrow minded, hostile, cruel local people, I would never go there. They should be glad that someone wants to put that part of their history to rest. They have no compassion for the victims or their families. I hope they can excavate the mass graves there in time.
No respect for the Alderney population
marcusjeep30 June 2020
Would you welcome this woman to your island if she branded it as "Adolf Island" - the Channel Islanders did not invite Nazi occupation. She fails to understand how the events of WW2 still deeply affect those even on the larger islands. Typical millenial drivel.
revisionism
esimckes24 October 2020
I was actually personally offended as the son of a Holocaust survivor. Perhaps this woman's motives we're well-intentioned but she failed miserably. I personally was offended by how many times the narrator called the victims of the Nazis "outsiders and enemies of the state". Other than a few visual clues that the majority were Jewish it is barely mentioned. I understand on this particular island and camp the victims were probably not Jewish but throughout the movie and in discussing the other camps we are just not mentioned. I read the other negative reviews and I have to throw my support for them as well. Shoddy work, sensationalist yellow journalism is pervasive in this entire production. The only thing good for me was seeing how the ground laser works. I would say watch a video about that and don't waste your time on this crock.
A failed documentary at best.
oms_holyman11 August 2023
While this potentially highlights some lesser known parts of history, at it's heart it is a failed documentary trying to add speculative additions to history based sketchy and unverified 'evidence'.
Now admitedly it would seem the point of the 'documentary' was to try to investigate some of that speculation and 'evidence' but they were denied the ability to dig up areas they wanted to investigate but they had obviously been contracted to make a documentary so they had to release something.
What makes me suspicious is not the fact they were denied permission to dig by the authorities 'who are trying to hide something' especially as the island was totally evacuated by the British so the islanders have no part in anything that happened during that time period but the fact the presenter never mentions why they were denied permission then tries to make out that it was because the island was being obstructive or hiding something.
I suspect the reason they were denied permission was because their case was extremely poor and tbh if I was in a position to decide if they should be given permission to dig up the island, from the 'evidence' provided and the fact the island had already been looked over with a fine tooth comb while investigating war crimes i would have said no also.
Usually you are given permission to dig in cases like this when you find new evidence. I saw no new evidence presented, only old evidence with new speculations attached, trying to make the evidence fit the story rather than the story fit the evidence.
Sadly if they had just concentrated on telling the already (but not widely) known story rather than trying to make up a new one it could have been an interesting documentary.
Now admitedly it would seem the point of the 'documentary' was to try to investigate some of that speculation and 'evidence' but they were denied the ability to dig up areas they wanted to investigate but they had obviously been contracted to make a documentary so they had to release something.
What makes me suspicious is not the fact they were denied permission to dig by the authorities 'who are trying to hide something' especially as the island was totally evacuated by the British so the islanders have no part in anything that happened during that time period but the fact the presenter never mentions why they were denied permission then tries to make out that it was because the island was being obstructive or hiding something.
I suspect the reason they were denied permission was because their case was extremely poor and tbh if I was in a position to decide if they should be given permission to dig up the island, from the 'evidence' provided and the fact the island had already been looked over with a fine tooth comb while investigating war crimes i would have said no also.
Usually you are given permission to dig in cases like this when you find new evidence. I saw no new evidence presented, only old evidence with new speculations attached, trying to make the evidence fit the story rather than the story fit the evidence.
Sadly if they had just concentrated on telling the already (but not widely) known story rather than trying to make up a new one it could have been an interesting documentary.
Most made up, unlikeable host.
ryanmlavender18 July 2023
This documentary is so split up it didn't blend at all. The presented side of it felt unprofessional and like a student project, I really didn't care for what she had to say it was so obvious that the whole show should have been cancelled when they couldn't dig and focussed on why no one has dug there. Instead they did scans of the land from a drone and then the uncovered "facts" were pressumed.
Then there was this completely over Americanised documentary mixed in on top of that. It was like jumping between 2 annoying documentaries about the same thing with little actual evidence of anything.
Then there was this completely over Americanised documentary mixed in on top of that. It was like jumping between 2 annoying documentaries about the same thing with little actual evidence of anything.
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