Occupation survivors write a book to keep Liberation Day alive

Friday, 17 April 2026 13:07

Survivors of the German Occupation of Jersey have grouped together to write a collection of stories about the '1,733 Days Until Liberation'.

It is part of a drive to keep Liberation Day relevant by publishing a history book which is different from the rest, according to co-author Wenda McKee.

The 85-year-old worries that with time, the Occupation and Liberation of Jersey will fade in importance as younger generations grow further from the events that unfolded during the Second World War.

"It concerns me that the memory of those dreadful years might just fade into memory and be forgotten; it's a very important part of the island's history as far as I am concerned.

"There are still some of us still alive who can remember that time, and it's important that these sorts of things aren't brushed under the carpet and forgotten."

She goes on to say that '1,733 Days Until Liberation' is a chatty book, which is not like a 'boring book'.

"It just describes the experience of how the Germans coped and how we coped with the Germans, life in general, and how we had to desperately find food.

"[About] Guy le Sueur, who is well known on the island, his experiences as a farmer's boy and his incredible parents."

There is also a story about a Spanish prisoner of war who meets a Jersey girl, and they fall in love.

"They had met quite by accident, and it had literally been love at first sight.

"By the time the Germans had decided to take a whole group of them back to France, they were desperately in love and couldn't bear to be parted.

"Well, he decided he would do everything he could to escape from the Germans, and that's how the story begins."

Islanders interested in the book can find it on Amazon.