Guernsey families in new push to pardon WW2 'Robin Hood' police

Guernsey Police officer William Quin pictured top row far left,. was arrested and deported to France and later moved to Germany

Families of Guernsey Police officers convicted during the World War Two Occupation have renewed calls for the men to be pardoned.

Seventeen officers were convicted of "Robin Hood" thefts, stealing food from the German occupiers for civilians.

Jenna Holloway, whose great grandfather William Quin, was one of those men, said it was "really important" that they get a pardon.

Mr Quin was arrested and deported to France and sent on to Germany.

"He was malnourished, he was underfed, underweight," said Ms Holloway.

"The treatment of these men was so terrible for the crime of trying to help out the civilians at the time by making sure people got food that needed it."

• Occupation of Guernsey: Calls for policemen apology

• Addressing German Occupation injustices 'being explored'

• The 'Robin Hood' policemen who stole from the Nazis

Identity cards for William Quin and Archie Tardif: Jenna Holloway and Tom Tardif want their great grandfathers to receive a pardon

"They risked everything just to try and help the community that they were so used to serving and didn't want to serve in the way they were being forced to under German rule.

"It is really important that they get a pardon, these men risked everything, they risked their reputation, they risked their jobs and in the very sad case, one of the policemen lost their lives."

Occupation of the Channel Islands

• Only British soil to be occupied during World War Two

• After the German offensive through France and the Dunkirk evacuation the British government decided the islands were not strategically important and left them undefended

• This was not communicated to the Germans who bombed Guernsey's St Peter Port Harbour and targets in Jersey, killing more than 40 people

• German troops landed in Guernsey by plane on 30 June 1940 - the start of five years of occupation

• The islands were turned into an "impregnable fortress" on the express orders of Adolf Hitler

Tom Tardif, whose great grandfather Archie Tardif, was also sentenced, said: "According to the court reports, he was caught taking one sausage from the German butcher but compared to what these men had lost and sacrificed, I don't think it's really worth the punishment they received.

"They were made an example of. They were demonised locally as well. That stigma has always stuck until this day. That's something that would be really important to clear.

"Getting the pardon is long overdue, unfortunately the people it would have meant the most to are long gone but you can still take comfort that they are given the pardon they deserve."

William Quin was trying to help the community says his great granddaughter

In 2021, States of Guernsey Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq said he was "very hopeful" the States would be able to introduce a statutory pardon for the officers by the end of the year.

The Government's Policy and Resources Committee have said the work to gain the pardons was complex as it involves historic legal matters, and was taking longer than initially expected due to competing priorities, but it was hoped the Policy Letter can be brought to the States later this year.

It said it "remains of the view that it should seek to address cases of injustice where people were treated unfairly or disproportionately when justice was administered by the court during the period of the German Occupation".

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