Operation Outreach: we want you!

Do you, or someone you know, remember life during the Occupation of Jersey during the Second World War?  Were you, or your relative, an evacuee or a veteran?  Or were you, or your relative, in Jersey on Liberation Day?  If so, we want to hear from you.
 
During the Liberation 75 public consultation, which took place in 2019, two recurring themes became clear: firstly, that there is a lack of understanding about the Occupation and Liberation Day, especially among school students; and secondly, that there is a strong desire to keep the memory of Liberation Day going, handing over knowledge from senior citizens to younger generations.
 
Liberation 75 is one of the last milestone opportunities to record the memories and accounts of those who remember life during the Occupation and on Liberation Day.  ‘Operation Outreach’ aims to conserve those first-hand accounts by arranging for senior citizens to visit every school in Jersey, to tell groups of children about their first-hand, lived experiences.  

This could be about anything, from what food was available to eat, to their interactions with German soldiers or slave workers, to what it was like being completely cut-off from the rest of the world.
 
Operation Outreach will take place throughout March and target years 6, 8, 10 and 12 in every school in Jersey.  Sessions will run for an hour in each school, including 30 minutes for Q&A.
 
Deputy Kevin Pamplin, who lead last year’s Liberation 75 working group, says, “Liberation 75 is of particular relevance because it provides one of the last opportunities for some of those who remember life during the Occupation and Liberation to tell younger generations about their first-hand experiences.  It is an important time for our younger generations – especially school students – to listen to the memories and lessons of that time and ensure they are carried forward for the generations to come.  

"Perhaps the most important message to be handed down to children is the value of freedom, peace and inclusivity – these are the lessons of the Occupation, and Liberation Day is not just a day off school or work.”

 
If you, or someone you know, would like to be a part of Operation Outreach, please contact the Liberation 75 team at hello@liberation75.je.