Guernsey families urged to explore ancestors roles during the world wars

Wednesday, 11 November 2026 at 10:45

A Guernsey woman has shared her aunt's life story, which spans two world wars, as the nation marks Armistice Day.

Ancestry has removed the paywall to its wartime collections until midnight tonight (11 November).

This means users can explore more than two billion records for free and better understand the experiences of previous generations.

The records include service records, firsthand accounts of prisoners of war, and civilian defence files.

One Guernsey woman, Liz Walton, has used the system to piece together the story of her aunt Ada Le Poidevin.

Ada was born on the island in 1895, leaving to volunteer for the Salvation Army in France in 1917.

She was supporting soldiers in British camps and later the charity’s Graves Visitation Service.

Upon returning home to Guernsey, she met and married Liz's uncle Walter Bourgaize before the island was invaded by the Nazis.

During the Occupation, in 1941, Ada helped two British soldiers hide in her shed, despite Germans stationed next door.

Genealogist Researcher at AncestryProGenealogists Christina Copland says that in November, with Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, people often get curious about family military history.

"You don't need a lot of knowledge to get started.

"You don't need to know the regiment or their life history or anything like that.

"You can just start by entering in some really basic details like name, age, and see what pops up in terms of things like service records, medal cards, even prisoner-of-war questionnaires."

(Left) Ada Le Poidevin's official photo for her War Worker's Pass that gave her permission to travel overseas in wartime. (Right) Image thought to have been taken on completion of a training course.