With sincere thanks to:
Mark Lamerton and his forensic Occupation eye and kindly agreeing to be an early reader. And as if that weren’t enough, sharing stories and photographs of his grandfather, whose wartime interception of informers’ letters at the post office formed the central thread of this book. I am indebted to you.
Eric Blakeley, MBE, broadcaster, journalist, Occupation expert and adventurer. Thanks for showing me the wall with the painted-over swastika, sharing your wealth of stories and a really good bowl of risotto.
Jenni Illien, I really enjoyed talking about the Occupation and hearing the wonderful story of your sister-in-law.
Huge thanks go to Therese Tabb and her husband Peter for the enlightening conversation over lunch and the wonderful work you do in documenting the social histories of Occupation islanders.
Leo Harris. I wish I’d had the chance to meet you again, but I’ll treasure my conversations with you.
Maggie Moisan, you’re a treasure. Thanks for speaking so candidly and eloquently about your heroic mother.
Don Dolbel, what a raconteur and irrepressible spirit you are. Thank you.
Enormous thanks go to Eric Falle, for helping me to see the Occupation through a child’s eyes.
My sincere appreciation goes to Dermott Curry, just 12 when the Germans invaded and his mother died. My conversation with you helped shape my understanding of the legacy of the Occupation years, including a hatred of waste. Keep sharing your mini-marmalade pots.
Audrey Falle, thank you for sharing your fascinating memoir with me and allowing me to interview you. I so enjoyed my time with you.
Norman Syvret, thanks for your colorful wartime memories.
Bob Le Sueur. Something of a legend and an Occupation hero in Jersey. This remarkable 102-year-old man told me in exceptional detail about how he helped escaped Russian prisoners in Jersey, including the escapee whom Louisa Gould harbored. He was awarded an MBE for his bravery in 2013. It was thrilling to talk to someone who was actually alive at that time and knew the people whose lives and personalities I was trying to uncover. Bob died in November 2022. He will be sorely missed by the people of Jersey.
Michael Dubras, a lovely gentleman, who shared some fascinating stories with me about growing up as a child during the Occupation, and thanks to his charming son Tony for arranging the interviews. Michael passed away in August 2023. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
All the wonderful and incredibly helpful staff at Jersey Heritage Archive and Collections (https://catalogue.jerseyheritage.org) and Jersey Public Library (https://jerseylibrary.gov.je), who helped me navigate their collections and were always generous with their time and expertise, on the phone, email, Zoom and face to face. Libraries and archives at their very best. Special thanks to Ed Jewell, Chief Librarian, for being so enthusiastic about this book, Stuart Nicolle from Jersey Archives for answering all my questions so patiently, and to Geraint Jennings, Jèrriais Promotion Officer, who helped me with translations. Any mistakes are my own.
I also visited the archives of the Postal Museum in London (https://www.postalmuseum.org), who hold information about the postal service in the Channel Islands.
Thanks to the Wiener Library, for sending me their online exhibition, On British Soil, about victims of Nazi persecution in the Channel Islands.
Howard Butlin Baker, extremely knowledgeable local historian who was very generous with his time and expertise, kindly introducing me to plenty of people to interview and acting as a fantastic sounding board, as well as being an early reader. Enormous thanks.
St. Helier resident and loyal Jersey lady, Ann Dunne, who told me the fabulous story of how her mother fell in love with and married a liberating Tommy soldier, over a bowl of homemade bean crock. Your warmth and hospitality made for a memorable trip.
Paul Simmonds, local director of Age Concern, who allowed me very kindly to come along and talk to their regulars.
All at The Channel Islands Occupation Society, especially Damien Horn, who showed me round his fascinating military museum housed in a former bunker in St. Ouen’s.
Two distinct and amazing tours with: Marc Yates (marc@historyalive.je); and Phil at Jersey War Tours (https://www.jerseybunkertours.com).
Fabulous Jersey writers and residents, Gwyn Garfield-Bennett and Deborah Carr (https://deborahcarr.org). Deborah’s Occupation novel, An Island at War (One More Chapter, 2021), is an absorbing read, as are Gwyn’s gripping thrillers (https://www.gwyngb.com/about/).
My grateful thanks go to Jenny Lecoat. Jenny is the great-niece of Louisa Gould and writer of the film Another Mother’s Son (2017), as well as an Occupation novel, The Girl from the Channel Islands (Polygon, 2022). Thanks, Jenny, for the coffee and reminding me that when it comes to the Occupation there are “a hundred different truths.”
Huge thanks to Dave Vautier, author of The History and Stories of the Jersey Post Office, for sharing your book and memories of some of Jersey Post’s heroic and colorful wartime characters. It was an enormous help in the research of this book.
My thanks to a lady I never met, but wish I had. While at the archives, I spotted a brilliant and funny poem written during the Occupation by a lady called Eileen, which I featured in Chapter Twelve. I wasn’t able to locate the identity of this lady, but if by some chance you recognize the poem and know the author, or her family, please let me know.
Enormous thanks to Charmaine Bourton, the Queen of Anachronism-Spotting and all-round good egg.
And finally, my wonderful agent Kate Burke and all the team at Blake Friedmann, including Julian Friedmann, James Pusey and Hana Murrell. My warm, wise and wonderful editors, Kimberley Atkins and Amy Batley in the UK, and Alex Logan in the U.S. (and her incredible team at Forever Publishing, including Nicole Andress, Estelle Hallick, Alli Rosenthal and Carolina Martin). Without their collective efforts and talent this book would not be in your hands. I am forever grateful.
Any mistakes are entirely my own.
If you enjoyed this book then you might also like my previous novel, The Little Wartime Library, which is available to buy now. The library built in a Tube station, which Grace tells Ash about on her return from London, is a true story. The Little Wartime Library is based on this forgotten little library.