Select a region
It is no surprise that many islanders saw their German occupiers as 'the enemy' during the Second World War - but, as historians have uncovered, one local mother's opinion was tested after a bike accident saw her and her young son come closer to the soldiers than they had ever been before.
The story has come to light this Road Safety Awareness Week thanks to Jersey War Tunnels.
In the latest in their series of wartime stories, they told Express...
"During the Occupation, bicycles quickly became the standard form of transport across the island.
The rationing of petrol meant civilian cars and motorcycles had to leave the roads within days of the Occupation starting and a limited bus service only ran for a while.
A young mother, who relied on her bike to get around, decided one day to pay a visit to friends who lived a distance away from her. She carefully placed her 18-month-old son in the seat on the back of her bike and set off through the narrow country lanes.
Pictured: The mother's accident happened as she was navigating the island's country lanes.
She travelled along steadily, her little boy enjoying the ride. Suddenly, a car full of German soldiers came speeding around the corner towards her, causing her to tip sideways into the grassy road-side bank. The soldiers stopped and got out, speaking to her in German. They were probably apologising, but the young mum didn’t understand a word. As she picked herself up out of the hedge, they picked up her bike and her son.
As a young mother under enemy rule, she was understandably nervous, but she felt real panic rise when the men smiled and chatted to her curly haired, blue-eyed boy. The soldiers passed the boy around, each man smiling and jiggling the boy up and down, seemingly delighted with the encounter. The child was bemused, but gladly accepted their attention.
Rumours and stories about the behaviour of ‘the enemy’ had made everyone extremely wary. But the mother need not have worried, as they soon helped buckle her son back into his seat and saw her safely on her way. Like many of the German soldiers, they were probably family men far away from their own loved ones."
Three friends and an ill-fated boat escape
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.