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WW2 food parcel delivery 'immensely significant'

Priaulx LIbrary The SS Vega ship in the water in Guernsey's Saint Peter Port harbour in 1944. The white ship has two foldable masts with the red cross symbol painted on it in three locations.Priaulx LIbrary
The SS Vega first visited Guernsey in December 1944 for the International Red Cross

Guernsey is marking the 80th anniversary of the International Red Cross SS Vega first visiting the island in December 1944.

It supplied more than 119,000 standard food parcels during the first visit and continued to visit the islands through the occupation by German forces and after liberation in May 1945.

Paul Le Pelley, vice president of the Channel Islands Occupation Society in Guernsey, said it was an "immensely significant event" for the islands.

He said: "I think it's fair to say that without the essential commodities brought into the island then people would have died."

A black and white image of The SS Vega ship in the water in Guernsey's Saint Peter Port harbour in 1944. There is a tug boat nearby and hundreds of people are waiting on the harbour net to a large crane.
The SS Vega supplied more than 119,000 standard food parcels on its first visit to Guernsey

On its first visit SS Vega delivered to the islands:

  • 119,792 standard food parcels
  • 4,200 diet supplement parcels for the ill
  • 5.2 tons of salt
  • Four tons of soap
  • 96,000 cigarettes
  • 37 cwt medical and surgical supplies (equivalent to 1,850kg or 3,700lb)
  • A small quantity of clothing for children and babies

The packages on board the Vega came from the Canadaian and New Zealand Red Cross Societies. They were first sent to England and then onwards to Lisbon in Portugal from where the SS Vega set sail.

Mr Le Pelley said: "When the boat first arrived on 27th of December, crowds turned up to see the boat arrive.

"It was a fantastic event because people really were struggling."

Each parcel was expected to last a person a month.

Alongside food, the charity provided the island with medical supplies, cigarettes and clothing for children.

"There was chocolate for the children, but they also had bits of cheese, they had peas, beans," Mr Le Pelley said.

"There was Quaker Oats, there was milk powder, there was coffee, tea and occasionally even tobacco.

"There was lots of tobacco sent down in one voyage.

"It's something that wouldn't be regarded as essential these days but it certainly was in 1945."

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