Island Memories exhibition recalls WW2 occupation

A new exhibition recalling islanders' memories of the German occupation of Guernsey during World War Two has opened this week in St Peter Port.

The Island Memories Project: Liberation 80 is a joint oral history project between Guernsey Museums and BBC Radio Guernsey.

Visitors can listen to audio clips from the first phase of the project, with evacuees, islanders who served in the armed forces, and those who remained during the occupation recalling what happened.

Kit Hughes, assistant curator at Guernsey Museums, said it was "wonderful" to "share these incredible stories".

"We are so grateful to the participants for taking part and hope this display does their memories justice," he said.

Maisie Le Page, 88, from Sark was three when the war started.

Mrs Le Page lent her childhood teddy to the exhibition - a second-hand panda which was stabbed with a bayonet by an SS soldier, while he was looking for her father's hidden radio.

She said it was was "wonderful" that people's memories would be "kept forever".

"I was quite touched when I saw [my panda] lying there today when I came in."

The Island Memories Project was launched in November by Guernsey Museum in partnership with BBC Radio Guernsey.

The project aims to record islanders' memories about life in the bailiwick and create a digital archive of oral histories for future generations.

Guernsey and Alderney will celebrate the 80th anniversary of their liberation on 9 May, while Sark was liberated one day later.

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