While Liberation Day is marked on 9 May every year, in reality the majority of the liberating forces arrived in Guernsey on 12 and 13 May 1945 – among them were men who met their future wives and settled down to life in Guernsey.

The daughter of one of those liberating servicemen was in St Peter Port on Friday, telling people her family’s story as part of the events for the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day.

Pictured (l-r): Caitlyn Le Patourel, Sue O’Neill, John O’Neill, and Cheryl Armitage.

Sue O’Neill’s father, Joe Jones arrived in Guernsey on 13 May 1945 to help with the rehabilitation of the island.

He was one of the thousands of servicemen who sailed in on Allied warships, landing at L’ancresse Bay as well as St Peter Port and St Sampson’s Harbours.

Their number dwarfed the very few British servicemen who had come to the island on board HMS Bulldog for the actual liberation on 9 May 1945.

Mrs O’Neill explained that the famous photographs of ‘Liberation Day’ in St Peter Port were likely taken on 12 or 13 May, 1945 and not the 9 May, as the jubilant crowds continued turning out to welcome the ‘Tommys’.

Pictured: Mr and Mrs O’Neill and their family were sharing the stories of their relatives on Liberation Day, including Lance Corporal Joe Jones who was among the liberation servicemen.

Lance Corporal Joe Jones was stationed on Route Militaire when he first arrived in Guernsey as part of ‘Operation Prophet’. He was also stationed at Castle Cornet during his time in the island working as part of the liberating forces.

He was among the thousands of men from the Royal Engineers, Royal Army Service Corps, Royal Artillery, and many more who came over to help secure the island and to bring in essential supplies including food and medicine. They were also tasked with overseeing the German officers who were now prisoners of war, and they started to clear away German equipment including starting work to clear the island of explosives.

LCpl Jones’ daughter, Sue O’Neill said she was “very proud of him” and described him as a “wonderful guy”.

Her husband, John O’Neill described his father-in-law as both “modest” and “super”.

“He was a real super guy. We used to have a pint at the Fontaine Pub and you had a heck of a job to get him to talk about it. He didn’t like it at all. He was very modest. A real super guy.”

Pictured: The O’Neills and their family shared family stories with other people on Liberation Day this year.

Lance Corporal Jones married Guernsey girl May Woolnough and they raised their family together.

He died on 10 May 1997, having lived through 52 Liberation Day anniversaries in Guernsey.

His great-grandaughter Caitlyn Le Patourel works for the Island Archives, which maintains records of events such as the arrival of the liberating forces.