| 1. |
St Helier, capital town of Jersey, was naturally a focus of activity during the Second World War, with many Occupation sites and memorials to be discovered. A to G are a selection: |
| A |
Victory V and SS Vega Memorial, Albert Pier
On the retaining wall of Albert Pier, St Helier Harbour
The Albert Pier in St Helier Harbour carries several concrete bunkers, now either empty or in use for storage. There are plaques in the pier wall recording the departure of the Royal Militia on 20 June 1940 during the demilitarisation of the Channel Islands, and the deaths of 8 islanders in a German air raid.
Half-way along the pier, a big gold-encrusted ‘V for Victory’ is let into the wall beside a plaque commemorating the arrival here on 30 December 1944 of the Swedish Red Cross ship SS Vega. Six months had passed since the Islands had been bypassed during the Normandy landings. Supplies had been completely cut off. Conditions were dreadful, with almost no food, medicine and other necessities. Negotiations between the British, German and International Red Cross finally resulted in the Vega being allowed through. The German garrison, just as hungry as those they were guarding, had to watch as the ecstatic Islanders carried off the parcels from the ship – chocolate, tinned milk, raisins, dried egg, sugar.
‘God, we were happy,’ remembers Gerald Le Marrec, 11 years old at the time. ‘Maple Leaf cheese, Klim milk, cans of salmon, jam, Smiles and Chuckles chocolate… see, I’ve never forgotten them! Every person had a parcel. We felt sorry for the German soldiers, though – they had nothing.’ |
| B |
Occupation Tapestry, New North Quay
On display at the New North Quay inside the Maritime Museum
The Occupation Tapestry, a work of art that echoes the Bayeux Tapestry (Battle of Hastings) and the Overlord Embroidery (D-Day landings), is a wonderful achievement. Its twelve panels took 4 years of painstaking crafting, each panel created by volunteer needleworkers from one of Jersey’s 12 parishes to depict the story of the Occupation. Panel 1 (Trinity Parish) shows the build-up to the outbreak of war, Panel 2 (Grouville) German troops marching through St Helier on 1 July 1940, Panel 3 (St Helier) a clandestine session with a crystal set and the BBC, Panel 4 (St Peter) some wartime transport – a gas-powered van, a baker’s horse and cart. Panel 5 (St Saviour) demonstrates the shifts the Islanders were put to – queueing, patching clothes, hiding a pig from the German farm inspector; Panel 6 (St Lawrence) shows Jersey schoolchildren learning German and riding on a German army lorry, Panel 7 (St Ouen) Nazi propaganda films at the cinema, and Panel 8 (St Brelade) two sides of the coin – collaborators, and also loyal Islanders daubing road signs with ‘V for Victory’. Panel 9 (St Mary) depicts concentration camp prisoners and deportees, Panel 10 (St John) the Normandy horizon in flames on D-Day, Panel 11 (St Martin) the starving Germans watching Islanders unloading Red Cross parcels from SS Vega (see ‘A’, above), and the final panel (St Brelade) shows the liberation of Jersey on 9 May 1945.
The Occupation Tapestry was unveiled by the Prince of Wales on Liberation
Day, 9 May 1995, the 50th anniversary of the Island’s liberation. |
| C |
Monument to Freedom, Liberation Square
Known as the Liberation Sculpture, this very fine monument to freedom caused huge controversy in the island. The original design of the sculptor, Philip Jackson FRSS – seven islanders waving a UK flag - was altered by the Occupation and Liberation Committee of the States of Jersey to show a group of doves being released as a symbol of peace. This drew the cynical observation that far from releasing the doves, islanders suffering wartime deprivations would have had them for dinner. When unveiled by the Prince of Wales on 9 May 1995, the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands, the sculpture had had its flag reinstated, and one of figures had become a British soldier. But are the Islanders joyously unfurling the flag, or clinging onto it, or throwing it away? |
| D |
Pomme D'Or Hotel, Liberation Square
The Pomme D’Or Hotel stands along the north side of Liberation Square. One of Jersey’s best-known hotels, when the Germans occupied the island in July 1940 it was commandeered and used from then on as the German Naval Headquarters in the Channel Islands. One of the best-known series of wartime photographs, on display inside the hotel, shows the scenes at the Pomme D’Or on 9 May 1945. A huge crowd packed the square in front of the hotel to hear speeches from local dignitaries and British officers gathered on the balcony, and to see the German swastika flag pulled down and replaced by a Union Jack. |
| E |
Victory ‘V’, Royal Square
Hidden among the paving stones of Royal Square – look carefully! Penalties for defying the Occupation forces or engaging in acts of subversion were severe. The Jersey islanders, nevertheless, found many individual ways of expressing their recalcitrance. A careful inspection of the paving stones in Royal Square reveals the shape of a large ‘V for Victory’. It was laid there during the latter stages of the war by St Helier stonemason Joseph Marie Le Guyader under cover of repair work he was carrying out to the pavement of the square – a witty, cheeky raspberry blown at the invaders, right under the heels of their jackboots.
|
| F |
Pavement quotations, Charing Cross
Sunk into the pavement at intervals along York Street and Charing Cross.
Several of the paving stones along the city centre thoroughfares of York Street and Charing Cross are inscribed with quotes from eyewitnesses to the German Occupation (reproduced around the rim of this map). They range from islanders to prisoners-of-war and slave labourers, and together make a powerful and memorable statement about the resilience and generosity of the human spirit in times of desperation. |
| G |
Freedom Tree, St Helier Waterfront
Behind the SAS Radisson Hotel near the Elizabeth Marina
On 9 May 2005, the sixtieth anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands, HRH Queen Elizabeth II unveiled Richard Perry’s striking Freedom Tree sculpture. The bronze tree stands 20 feet tall and carries 30 oak leaves and twelve acorns – one for each of the parishes of Jersey. It stands in a granite-paved public space named La Pièche de L’Av’nîn, the Place of the Future. This name, and the symbolism of the tree as an emblem of fresh growth and continuity, point Jersey away from the past while still acknowledging its power and presence. |
| 2 |
Fortifications at Elizabeth Castle, St Aubin's Bay
Access at low tide on foot along the causeway from West Park slipway or by ferry. |
| 3 |
Anti-Tank gun casemate, Millbrook, St Lawrence
Off Victoria Avenue, the St Aubin's Bay coast road, near the east of Coronation Park. Opening times see: www.ciosjersey.org.uk |
| 4 |
Gunsite Cafe, Beaumont
Gunsite slipway on St Aubin's Bay, halfway between the Gunsite Cafe and St Aubin's Harbour
|
| 5 |
Anti-tank wall, Beaumont
Near La Haule slipway on St Aubin's Bay, halfway |
| 6 |
German Tunnels, St Aubin
Behind St Aubin's Harbour, on Railway Walk - just behind the Natwest Bank on the corner at the bottom of High Street.
|
| 7 |
Lotheringen Battery, Noirmont Point
From St Aubin or St Brelade, follow A13, then B57 to Noirmont Point. Underground Command Bunker Museum: opening times see www.ciosjersey.org.uk
|
| 8 |
'Strongpoint Corbiere' fortifications, La Corbiere
A13, B44 from St Brelade; turn left on B83 (La Route du Sud) to La Corbiere. Where B83 bends right above the lighthouse, park in the parking space on the left. MP2 Obersation Tower, 10.5cm casemate bunker and M19 Fortress Mortar Bunker: opening times, see www.ciosjersey.org.uk. You can hire MP2 Tower (known as La Corbiere Radio Tower) as self-catering accommodation. See www.jerseyheritage.org |
| 10 |
Jersey War Tunnels, St Lawrence
At Les Charrieres Malorey in St Lawrence parish; follow the signs from A11 at Tesson Mill in St Peter's Valley. Opening times and details see www.jerseywartunnels.com |
| 11 |
Kernwerk Battle HQ, L'Aleval
Around the premises of the Living Legend visitor attraction at Le Grand Aleval, at junction of C124 and C112 just north of Le Coin Varin. |
| 12 |
Heavy machine-gun turret bunker, Val de la Mare, St Ouen
C106, La Rue du Moulin, St Ouen's Bay. Opening Times see www.ciosjersey.org.uk |
| 13 |
St Ouen's Windmill, Grantez
Off Rue du Couvent, a narrow lane connecting C106 (Le Mont Rossignol) and B64 (La Route du Marais). |
| 14 |
Coastal gun casemate, near Kempt Tower
Off B35 La Grande Route des Mielles (Five Mile Road); car park near foot of C106, Le Chemin de L'Ouziere. |
| 15 |
Coastal gun casemate and Military Museum, near Lewis's Tower
Channel Island Military Museum. Off B35 La Grande Route des Mielles (Five Mile Road), opposite Jersey Pearl at the northern end of St Ouen's Bay. |
| 16 |
Anti-tank wall in several sections, St Ouen's Bay
In the north of St Ouen's Bay around Lewis and Kempt Towers, and towards the south around Le Braye and La Carrière. |
| 17 |
'Strongpoint', L'Etacquerel
Where B35 bends sharp right and climbs from the coast at the north end pf St Ouen's Bay |
| 18 |
Moltke Battery, Les Landes
On B55 St Ouen's Bay to Plémont Bay road, 'Battery Moltke' sign points to car park for Les Landes and the coast path to Rouge Nez tower (see No. 19). Coast path also leads to Les Landes and Rouge Nez from bend in B35 road, marked 'Cliff path to Grosnez', just above L'Étaquerel (No. 17). Opening times see: www.ciosjersey.org.uk |
| 19 |
MP3 tower, Rouge Nez
Directions: see No. 18 |
| 20 |
Reinforced Field Position and searchlight shelter, Plémont Bay
Off B55 at Plémont Bay; parking place just beyond the holiday camp at the end of C105 road. |
| 21 |
Casemates, Gréve de Lecq
B40 ('Le Mont de Sainte Marie') and B65 ('Le Mont de la Gréve de Lecq') converge on Gréve de Lecq beach. |
| 22 |
La Crète Fort, Bonne Nuit Bay
B63 (off A8/A9) leads to a car park at its junction with Le Rue des Platons; from here footpaths lead down to the shore and La Crète Fort. You can hire the fort as a self-catering property from Jersey Heritage Trust. |
| 23 |
Commando memorial, Petit Port
Footpath from Les Camps du Chemin on C97, off A8 a mile north of Trinity, leads down to Petit Port and the memorial. |
| 24 |
Jersey Turbot bunker, St Catherine
On the B29 just before it loops back on itself opposite St Catherine's Breakwater. Further information on Jersey Turbot available from www.genuinejersey.com |
| 25 |
Observation towers on Mont Orgueil Castle, and bunker house on Gorey Harbour
A3 from St Helier through Grouville to Gorey. Bunker house is No. 14, one from the seaward end along the pier Mont Orgueil Castle Opening times, see www.jerseyheritage.org |
| 26 |
Victoria Tower, Anne Port (National Trust for Jersey)
Where B28 and B30 meet just north of Gorey, bear right down narrow lane past La Haut de la Garenne and Seymour Farm. Less than half a mile from Gorey Harbour on foot. You can hire Victoria Tower from the National Trust for barbecues, picnicking or parties www.nationaltrustjersey.org.je |
