Homecoming Day is observed on December 15 in Alderney, the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands and part of the British Crown dependency, the Bailiwick of Guernsey. This official observance commemorates the return of the evacuated population of Alderney following the end of the German occupation during World War II. The mass evacuation of civilians began in June 1940, leading to the occupation of Alderney by German troops on July 2, 1940, which lasted until July 16, 1945. Unlike other regions, Alderney does not celebrate a Liberation Day due to the absence of a local population to liberate; instead, Homecoming Day marks the first shipload of returned citizens on December 15, 1945. The island has its own flag, coat of arms, and parliament, known as the States of Alderney, highlighting its unique identity within the Channel Islands.