In the Channel

We have journeyed by 3 planes …..Sydney to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to London……and finally  London to……. I will give you a clue, it’s an Island in the Channel.Despite the promotional picture, there are no longer any trains. Did I hear you sigh with regret ( or joy  perhaps) but there is  a  load  of  other  interesting  experiences  in  store  for  you.

Now, you probably thought Jersey was part of the United Kingdom, no? Well I did and I was mistaken. Jersey is an independent country but because it was ruled by the French  through William of Normandy. When France lost the war with England, the island decided to be loyal to England. There is a strong reminder of its French history in place and street names. The traditional language was a mix of English and French known as Jersey French. Although it is independent, it has a Governor and “Bailiff” (another bureaucrat) appointed by the British Government. This made it awkward in the last World War for the people of the island. Just so you know where this island is, it is about 24km from the coast of France in the English Channel.

Settled in the Neolithic period because of it fertile soils, the island has been the site for many different land grabs and has a military history of defending its wealth. So you guessed it, you are off to visit a castle built on the site of that Neolithic fort, now known as Mont Orgueil Castle. No groaning as it is very picturesque and you are going to learn some interesting trivia.

See , as I said, very picturesque. While in the main hall, we met Gary, a historian who volunteers on Tuesdays. His specialty is weapons and medieval medicine.

He told us all about the use of honey, vinegar and herbs for curing the sick and wounded. Urine was often part of the diagnosis.

You might carry a prayer nut to ward off illness . These were made of  two pieces of wood. The inside would be carved . A nut was used like an incense or oil ball and would be shaken or swung while you prayed. Some were made locally as examples.

Your day is only half over, we are off to the middle of the island. Jersey was occupied by the Germans in World War 2. It was not considered to have military importance to the British, and so it was decided that resources would not be used to defend it especially as France and its capital Paris had surrendered. Residents were given one day to decide to stay or go.

Of the 50,000 residents, approximately half left the Island for Britain. As the last boat left, Germans bombed some areas. The Governor left but the Bailiff was ordered to remain. His job was to liaise between the Germans and the people. Initially the occupation did not impact too much on the locals but in 1942 a bureaucrat , and a further 11000 soldiers, were sent. He laid down strict and harsh laws on the people including removing of livestock, produce , cars and petrol and curfews. Anything considered to be resistance, sharing of information, helping foreign slave workers or keeping resources was met with harsh punishments.  The local paper would share news indirectly by allowing propaganda from  the  German  to  go  in  unedited  so  locals  would  know  it  was  untrue.People  would  also  use  the  paper  to  trade  goods.

Mike’s person( we were given identity cards as tickets) was sent to a concentration camp in Germany for having a radio and I was sent to jail for drawing anti German pictures. Life was difficult and some residents informed on others to gain favours even though it meant their neighbour could be punished or sent to Germany. The 600 non- island born British were sent to Germany to an internment camp, 90 Jews were sent to camps initially. Approximately another 1100 people were sent to camps in the next 4 years. Foreign workers or slaves built much of the fortifications, bunkers and the underground hospital. Their lives were even more difficult with little food ( two bowls of soup a day) and 12 hour days of  work. Many would try and get food from the local farms as they were being starved. Farmers, if caught were punished. Following  the  war, there  were  mixed  feelings  about  the  Island  and   how  people  had  acted  under  occupation. 

Well 9.3km walking later it’s time to sample some of Jersey’s fish delicacies and then rest my feet. See you tomorrow.

ps. I had the fish cakes, what did you order?