Bailiff to lead 'Light of Peace' D-Day commemorative service

Thursday 06 June 2024

The Bailiff is due to lead a service at the Second World War memorial on Noirmont Point this evening to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings.

The service, which will conclude with the lighting of a small beacon, is part of a project that spans across the British Isles during which towns and cities will ignite beacons collectively at 21:15.

Members of the public are invited to attend the service at Noirmont and are being asked to arrive no later than 20:30.

Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq said: "There are beacons being lit all over the country and all over the commonwealth."

Pictured: Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq will lead this evening's service at Noirmont.

He added: "The thing about these sorts of events is, they are always going to be about commemoration, they are always going to be about remembering what was done.

"But they are also about us saying who we are and what we value, what is important to us and therefore, what we hope for the future."

On this day 80 years ago, islanders were alerted to the fact "something unusual was happening" due to the "large number of planes passing over".

Islander Leslie Sinel kept detailed accounts of the Occupation in his diary despite the risk of punishment from German forces.

On 6 June 1944, he wrote: "Invasion! From the early hours we guessed something unusual was happening, owing to the large number of planes passing over.

"The Germans put up a terrific anti-aircraft barrage and one of their gun positions at St John’s was machine-gunned.

"The sound of planes and A.A. fire continued well into the morning, after which aircraft were observed or heard almost all the time, but there was no more A.A. fire.

"The Germans have manned all their posts and parked Ambulances and lorries in various parts of the island."

Pictured: A German proclamation issued to islanders during the occupation. (Colin Isherwood)

The extract continued: "Guards have been doubled outside their billets, Red Cross flags are placed near hospitals, and one peculiar thing is the sight of soldiers wearing Red Cross armlets and equipped with steel helmets and rifles!

"The Germans immediately took over the telephone service, but in spite of this, news spread with almost unprecedented rapidity, smiling faces indicating that the day had arrived for which we had waited so long."