Russian slave labourer's Occupation artwork added to local collection

Friday 15 September 2023

Jersey Heritage's collection now includes a still-life drawing created by a Russian prisoner-of-war in tribute to the support and refuge he received from islanders during the German Occupation.

The drawing was created by Feodor ‘Bill’ Burriy whilst he was in hiding after his escape from a labour camp in St. Peter.

In June 1942, Bill – who served in the Russian air force – was transported to Jersey after the Germans shot down his plane.

He was confined to a labour camp in St. Peter until his escape in September 1942. 

Throughout the subsequent years of the Occupation, several islanders stepped forward to shelter and assist Bill. 

One such islander was Dorothy Huelin, who allowed Bill to find refuge in the basement of her home on Trinity Hill where she lived with her four young children. 

Dorothy also supplied Bill with art materials as a way for him a way to pass the time. 

Fortunately, Bill managed to elude recapture by the Germans and safely return home after the war.

As a token of his gratitude, Bill gifted Dorothy a still-life drawing, inscribing his home address in Russian on the reverse side. 

Now residing in Jersey Heritage's Maritime Collection, this artwork offers a poignant reminder of the challenges faced and the unwavering compassion displayed during the Occupation.

Other notable islanders who assisted Bill were sisters Louisa Gould and Ivy Forster.

They harboured him for 18 months in their shop 'Millais Stores' in St. Ouen, guided by Mrs Gould's compassionate belief: "I have to do something for another mother's son."

Pictured: Louisa Mary Gould (1891–1945), a Jersey shopkeeper who became a heroic figure during World War II.

The sisters were eventually betrayed by neighbours who reported their assistance to an escaped forced labourer. 

Bill had been safely moved to another hide-away but traces of Bill’s presence, as well as forbidden camera and radio, were discovered. 

Louisa, Ivy and their brother Harold Le Druillenec were all subsequently arrested.

Louisa and Harold were sentenced to deportation, while Ivy ingeniously feigned a contagious illness to remain in Jersey.

Her resilience and courage were recognised when she became the first woman elected to the States of Jersey, marking a historic milestone.

Pictured: Millais Stores in St Ouen, where Louisa and Ivy helped to hide Bill.

Tragically, Louisa died in the gas chamber at Ravensbrück in February 1945, a sacrifice that earned her the title of a British Hero of the Holocaust in 2010. 

Meanwhile, Harold emerged as the sole known British survivor of the horrors of Bergen-Belsen and played a pivotal role in providing crucial testimony at the Nuremberg Trials.

On the 55th anniversary of Liberation, Bill expressed his profound gratitude to the islanders through a heartfelt message published in the JEP on 8 May 2000.

His message served as a tribute to individuals who had offered their support during his challenging journey and as a heartfelt homage to those, like Louisa, who had tragically lost their lives.

In his letter, Bill described how Louisa "treated [him] like a son".

Pictured top: The still life drawing created by Russian prisoner-of-war Feodor ‘Bill’ Burriy, which has been gif