In
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...
and
Guernsey, Liberation Day (
Jèrriais: ''Jour d'la Libéthâtion'') is celebrated each year on 9 May, to mark the end of the
occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II. It is celebrated as Guernsey and Jersey's national day.
History
On 9 May 1945,
HMS ''Bulldog'' arrived in
St Peter Port
St. Peter Port (french: Saint-Pierre Port) is a town and one of the ten parishes on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2019 was 18,958.
St. P ...
, Guernsey, and the German forces surrendered unconditionally aboard the vessel at dawn. British forces landed in St Peter Port shortly afterwards, greeted by crowds of joyous but malnourished islanders singing, amongst other patriotic songs, "Sarnia-Cherie".
The same day, , which had set out from
Plymouth, arrived in
Jersey
Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...
to accept the surrender of the occupying forces there. Two naval officers, Surgeon Lieutenant Ronald McDonald and Sub Lieutenant R Milne, were met by the Harbour Master, who escorted them to his office where they together hoisted the
Union Flag
The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...
, before also raising it on the flagstaff of the
Pomme d'Or Hotel. This has been re-enacted every year on Liberation Day since 1995. From 2003 to 2011 former Harbour Master and Jerseyman Captain Howard Le Cornu performed this annually. His father, John E. Le Cornu, and uncle, David M. Le Cornu, had been in the crowds and had witnessed the occasion on 9 May 1945.
Sark was liberated on 10 May 1945, and the German troops in Alderney surrendered on 16 May 1945.
Official status
The Public Holidays and Bank Holidays (Jersey) Act 1952 established Liberation Day as a public holiday if it fell on a weekday. The Public Holidays and Bank Holidays (Jersey) Act 2010 further laid down that Liberation was also to be a public holiday if it falls on a Saturday. It is not a public holiday, and no day off in lieu is provided, if it falls on a Sunday.
Ceremonies
Since the 50th anniversary of Liberation in 1995, a pattern of official ceremonies has developed based in and around Liberation Square in
Saint Helier
St Helier (; Jèrriais: ; french: Saint-Hélier) is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St Helier has a population of 35,822 – over one-third of the total population of Jersey – ...
where the events at the Harbour Master's Office and Pomme D'Or Hotel occurred in 1945. Following a special sitting of the
States of Jersey in the morning, States Members, clergy, the
Bailiff of Jersey, the
Lieutenant-Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-com ...
,
Jurat
The ''jurats'' () are lay people in Guernsey and Jersey who act as judges of fact rather than law, though they preside over land conveyances and liquor licensing. In Alderney, however, the jurats are judges of both fact and law (assisted by the ...
s, Crown Officers and other officials process from the Royal Square to Liberation Square accompanied by the Royal Mace and the Bailiff's Seal. An open air ecumenical service takes place in Liberation Square followed by the singing of "Man Bieau P'tit Jèrri"/"Beautiful Jersey" (in Jèrriais and English) and a re-enactment of the raising of flags (including that at
Fort Regent
Fort Regent is a 19th-century fortification and leisure centre on Mont de la Ville (Town Hill), in St. Helier, Jersey. The fort is in close proximity to the fortified South Hill Engineers Barracks at La Collette and overlooks the 16th-century E ...
). A parade of vintage and military vehicles, bands and service organisations is reviewed by the official party.
The afternoon community celebrations are of an informal character, including a programme of entertainments and stalls in Saint Helier.
An official ceremony also takes place at the Crematorium where there is a memorial to victims and slave workers of various nationalities. Representatives of affected nationalities take part in the commemoration.
In 1995, artist Eric Snell designed the Liberation Monument in St Peter Port to commemorate Liberation day. The needle-like monument is designed to cast a shadow on a bench where the liberation of Guernsey is described. It was unveiled on 9 May 1995 by
Prince Charles while military helicopters flew past.
The celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation could not be held in 2020 or 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
and were postponed until 810 May 2022 when the
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and
Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar, (born Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones, 20 January 1965) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, the youngest brother of King Charles III.
She grew u ...
were royal guests at the celebrations in Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark and read a message to islanders from
Queen Elizabeth II.
See also
*
Liberation Day
Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Portugal, or the end of an oc ...
*
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the official end of World War II in Europe in the Easte ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
May observances
National days
Jersey culture
Annual events in Jersey
Events in Guernsey
Spring (season) events in Jersey