Jersey War Tunnels is launching a campaign to unearth Islanders’ untold stories of life during the German occupation.
With Liberation 75 in 2020, this Liberation Day Jersey War Tunnels is launching its 12-month search to collect Islanders’ untold occupation stories in a bid to retell them as part of the landmark 75thLiberation celebrations.
Throughout the last year, Jersey War Tunnels has been sharing a series of short stories showcasing what life was really like for Islanders during the five years of enemy occupation.
“We see Jersey War Tunnels as best placed to tell the true story of the German occupation in Jersey through the eyes of those who survived it. As custodian of these stories and accounts, we feel a great sense of responsibility to the local community to preserve as many tales of hardship and endurance as we can so that they can be kept alive and shared with future generations,” said Jersey War Tunnels’ operations manager Kathy Bechelet.
“The 75th anniversary of Liberation Day is a huge milestone and sadly most of those who lived through the occupation are no longer with us to celebrate. To commemorate those years of suffering we want to make sure we have done everything in our power to unearth any final stories that remain untold. They might be stories that have been passed on through families but have never been shared further. If you know anyone that has a memory to share, be it a story of courage, friendship or fortitude – we’d love to hear from you.”
If you have your own occupation stories or that of family members you wish to share, please contact [email protected].
