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They celebrate Liberation Day today in Jersey. I was listening to BBC radio Jersey yesterday streaming live and the discussion and comments that people phoned in were very interesting.
There was a lot of discussion about their occupation and how they had no idea that the mainland was bombed as heavily as it was --those sorts of details weren't broadcast, of course, for fear of lowering morale. It was only after the Germans left the island that they learned what had been going on. There were many who said that the not knowing what was going to happen during the occupation was the very worst thing.
Needless to say, there were some individuals who said that Jersey had it easy in the war. (Okay. They weren't bombed flat, like Coventry or Manchester or other cities. They were occupied. 100 people died as forced labourers. Hello?! It wasn't a picnic.) I thought the presenter handled them very well, saying that they weren't there to get into a 'who-had-the-worst-war' sort of thing, and that the station was interested in personal recollections of that time.
It's not my period of history at all and I have my parent's memories of the war, and I've seen enough archive footage, but it was interesting all the same to listen to these islanders speak.
So. I hope it stays dry for their celebration, that their royal visitor has something interesting to say (Duke of Kent) and, since the island has a special place in my heart, I wish them, Bouôn Pid, Bouôn Yi, Bouonne Dent, et l'Paradis à la fîn d'vouos jours!
There was a lot of discussion about their occupation and how they had no idea that the mainland was bombed as heavily as it was --those sorts of details weren't broadcast, of course, for fear of lowering morale. It was only after the Germans left the island that they learned what had been going on. There were many who said that the not knowing what was going to happen during the occupation was the very worst thing.
Needless to say, there were some individuals who said that Jersey had it easy in the war. (Okay. They weren't bombed flat, like Coventry or Manchester or other cities. They were occupied. 100 people died as forced labourers. Hello?! It wasn't a picnic.) I thought the presenter handled them very well, saying that they weren't there to get into a 'who-had-the-worst-war' sort of thing, and that the station was interested in personal recollections of that time.
It's not my period of history at all and I have my parent's memories of the war, and I've seen enough archive footage, but it was interesting all the same to listen to these islanders speak.
So. I hope it stays dry for their celebration, that their royal visitor has something interesting to say (Duke of Kent) and, since the island has a special place in my heart, I wish them, Bouôn Pid, Bouôn Yi, Bouonne Dent, et l'Paradis à la fîn d'vouos jours!