A series of videos are being released bringing the memories of islanders, who lived through the Occupation, to life.

The Jersey Heritage videos feature diary entries from people who witnessed the final stages of Nazi rule in Jersey, from 1944 to 1945.

One of the islanders featured in 'Mémouaithe: a Liberation Journal' is Alice Bonney, a nurse and widow living in town.

Ms Bonney served as a nurse in the First World War and returned to caring when the German Forces first occupied the island.

Alice became a window in 1934, left with a daughter, Margret, and two sons, Frank and Clem, who were both deported to the Laufen camp because they were born in London.

Frank was repatriated to Jersey, but soon after D-Day escaped and joined the Merchant Navy.

Due to being away from her sons, Ms Bonney had fewer resources to draw on to support her family, as she had fewer chances of making friends to help her navigate German restrictions.

Alice Bonney played by Lucy Layton

The authors of the diaries are:

• Leslie Sinel, a printer working for the Jersey Evening Post;
• Marie Sandeman, writing to her two sons who remained at an English boarding school;
• Philip le Sauteur, the manager of a timber merchants;
• Nan Le Ruez, working on her family’s farm;
• and Ralph Mollet, the Bailiff’s secretary.

One diarist was not living in Jersey during 1944.

Joan Coles was taken to Schloss Wurzach, near Biberach in Germany, and wrote about her experiences there.

There are also entries from Baron Hans Max von Aufsess' diary, who was Head of Civil Affairs in the German Field Command.

Alice Bonney

Each entry has been brought to life by a Jersey Heritage member of staff, acting as the original author and reading the words written by people, such as Alice Bonney, all those 80 years ago.

The series will be released daily on the organisation's social media platforms from Christmas Eve 2024 until Liberation Day 2025, 9 May.

Vic Tanner Davy, Jersey Heritage’s Head of Programmes says these special diaries are a key part of Jersey Heritage's collections and help share the story of one of the most significant periods in the island’s history.

"Reading the words of someone who lived and breathed the Occupation years is a powerful way to understand what they experienced and how they felt at the time.

"All our readers found the experience of playing a diarist more moving than they had anticipated. “We chose Christmas Eve to begin our series as this was an especially difficult time for Islanders and only days before the Red Cross’s SS Vega arrived with its lifesaving cargo on 30 December 1944.

"Five months later, Islanders were liberated and we hope that everyone will engage with these daily videos to follow the diarists’ stories as we begin the build-up to Liberation 80."