Internees to celebrate their liberation in Jersey

There's a day of commemoration in Jersey to mark the 66th anniversary of the liberation of former internees

Former internees will be celebrating their freedom in Jersey on Thursday as part of their liberation celebrations.

In the past, internees have travelled to Bad Wurzach in Germany, the site of a former prison camp, for the event.

But Angela Trigg, from the St Helier Bad Wurzach Partnerschaft, said most of the internees are now in their 80s and are becoming too frail to travel.

Two Guernsey internees, Jim and Tom Remfrey, will join 38 from Jersey for Thursday's event.

There were 2,000 people deported from Jersey and Guernsey to German prison camps during World War II.

Ms Trigg said the main aim of the liberation celebrations was to build on the reconciliation between the Channel islands and Germany.

The day of commemoration starts with lunch at the Jersey War Tunnels, a procession of vintage cars and a church service.

Pater Hubert Veeser, a Salvatorian priest from Bad Wurzach in Germany, is coming to Jersey for the first time to help Monsignor Nicholas France and the Reverend Iain MacFirbhisigh at a church service at St Thomas at 1500 BST which is open to the public.

Mrs Valerie Ridgway, the Lieutenant Governor's wife, the Bailiff, Michael Birt and Mrs Birt, French Consul David Myatt, and other politicians will also be attending the service.

Afterwards all the former internees and their families are invited to a tea party and exhibition at the Town Hall.

Colin Isherwood, an archivist for the Channel Island Occupation Society, has put on a display of artefacts and photographs from the internment period including items that have never been seen before.