 Herm was first discovered in the Mesolithic period , and the first settlers arrived in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages . Many tombs from that period remain today , the majority in the north of the island . The island was annexed to the Duchy of Normandy in 933 , but returned to the English Crown with the division of Normandy in 1204 . It was occupied by Germany in the Second World War and the scene of Operation Huckaback , but was largely bypassed . Herm is currently managed by Herm Island Ltd , formed by Starboard Settlement , who acquired Herm in 2008 , following fears during the sale of the island that the ' identity ' of the island was at threat . 
