Amazing Stories of Bravery and Tragedy from Occupied Jersey 1940-1945
Albert Bedane Mary Erica Richardson and Francis Le Sueur owe a great debt to Albert Bedane. Both were Jewish and Mr. Bedane hid them from the German occupiers during World War Two. He hid Mary Erica for almost two years and helped Mr. Le Sueur evade capture in 1944. Later Mr Le Sueur would testify that ‘Mr Bedane not only helped me for two weeks, but he sheltered a Dutch Jewess for two and a half years and he must have known during all that time that he would be shot if caught’.
Mr. Bedane also hid an escaped French prisoner of war and a number of Russian forced labourers during the occupation. In the year 2000 he was recognized as Righteous Amongst Nations, an honour bestowed by the state of Israel to non-Jews who helped Jewish people evade capture during the Holocaust.
Mr. Bedane also hid an escaped French prisoner of war and a number of Russian forced labourers during the occupation. In the year 2000 he was recognized as Righteous Amongst Nations, an honour bestowed by the state of Israel to non-Jews who helped Jewish people evade capture during the Holocaust.
Posted by Brian Gallagher on July 16, 2015 in Stories, United Kingdom
The Jersey, Channel Islands, Occupation Registration Cards from World War Two cover the years 1940-1945. This collection will be of enormous benefit to anyone who is eager to learn more about their Jersey family history. As part of a major digitization project, the Jersey Archive has uploaded images of its entire collection of registration cards from the occupation of Jersey during World War Two, making them available online for the first time.
The registration cards shed some light on a difficult period in the island’s history and paint a picture of those that endured the Occupation. There are many stories from this period. . .
The Jersey, Channel Islands, Occupation Registration Cards from World War Two cover the years 1940-1945. This collection will be of enormous benefit to anyone who is eager to learn more about their Jersey family history. As part of a major digitization project, the Jersey Archive has uploaded images of its entire collection of registration cards from the occupation of Jersey during World War Two, making them available online for the first time.
The registration cards shed some light on a difficult period in the island’s history and paint a picture of those that endured the Occupation. There are many stories from this period. . .
In May 1942, three youngsters, Peter Hassall, Maurice Gould, and Denis Audrain, attempted to escape from Jersey in a boat. Sadly they were not successful in their attempt and Audrain drowned. Hassall and Gould were imprisoned in Germany, where Gould later died. Following this escape attempt, restrictions on small boats and watercraft were introduced, restrictions were also imposed on the ownership of photographic equipment as the boys had been carrying photographs of German fortifications with them.
Maurice Edward Green was the only diabetic to survive the occupation after the insulin ran out on the island. He discharged himself from hospital and survived by scavenging for bird’s eggs. His survival was so unusual that he was sent to the United States after the war so that his case could be studied further.
These are just a selection of the occupation stories which are part of Jersey’s unique history. To learn more about these collections and stories you can visit Jersey Heritage here.
These are just a selection of the occupation stories which are part of Jersey’s unique history. To learn more about these collections and stories you can visit Jersey Heritage here.