1 9 4 3 ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁ 1 8 ▁months ▁pen al ▁serv itude ▁for ▁the ▁crime ▁of ▁s elling ▁c igare tt es , ▁watch es ▁and ▁other ▁valu ables ▁he ▁had ▁bought ▁from ▁Dutch ▁O T ▁workers ▁on ▁the ▁black ▁market . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁the ▁Schutz st aff el ▁– ▁SS - B a ub rig ade ▁I , ▁which ▁was ▁first ▁under ▁super vision ▁of ▁the ▁Sachsen hausen ▁concentration ▁camp ; ▁from ▁mid - F ebru ary ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁it ▁ran ▁under ▁the ▁Neu eng am me ▁camp ▁in ▁northern ▁Germany , ▁located ▁near ▁the ▁old ▁te legraph ▁tower ▁at ▁La ▁F oul ère . ▁It ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Organisation ▁Tod t , ▁a ▁forced ▁labour ▁programme , ▁to ▁build ▁b unk ers , ▁gun ▁emp lac ements , ▁air - raid ▁sh el ters , ▁and ▁concrete ▁fort ifications ▁on ▁the ▁island . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁▁ ▁Ald er ney ▁has ▁been ▁nick named ▁" the ▁island ▁of ▁silence ", ▁because ▁little ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁what ▁occurred ▁there ▁during ▁the ▁occupation . ▁The ▁German ▁officer ▁left ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁facilities , ▁Command ant ▁Ober st ▁Schw alm , ▁burn ed ▁the ▁cam ps ▁to ▁the ▁ground ▁and ▁destroyed ▁all ▁records ▁connected ▁with ▁their ▁use ▁before ▁the ▁island ▁was ▁liber ated ▁by ▁British ▁forces ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁The ▁German ▁g arrison ▁on ▁Ald er ney ▁surrender ed ▁a ▁week ▁after