Pictured; Roland Duquemin's original Liberation Medal. Replica's have been given out to the Islands Schoolchildren as part of the 80th anniversary celebrations.

To mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the occupation, every school pupil in Guernsey will receive a special commemorative gift this week.

A replica of the original Liberation medal that was given to children who lived on the island during the German Occupation will be given to today’s youngsters.

The gift was designed to connect today’s young people with a really important and defining period in Guernsey’s history.

Deputy Sue Aldwell, a member of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture, hopes the medal will be a tangible, physical reminder of what the island, and those that called it home, went through, and the significance of Liberation Day.

“The States of Guernsey Liberation medal was originally brass and suspended on a bar with a pin, and was given to children who stayed in Guernsey during the German occupation. 

“As we mark such a significant anniversary, we want to ensure that everyone across the island can connect to our history and this gift for our younger members of the community adds to that.”

The replica medals are being handed out this week ahead of the 80th anniversary on Liberation Day.

Primary school pupils will be given a replica medal on a Liberation-themed ribbon, while secondary school students will receive it as a pin badge.

Each replica will come attached to a card that provides information and context about the events of Liberation Day in 1945.

Helen Glencross, Guernsey’s Head of Heritage Services, added that there’s even more emotional connection between the islands, and the medals, with a poignant moment 30 years ago.

“This gift holds further significance with the context that a copy of the medal was also presented to surviving members of Task Force 135 on the 50th anniversary of Liberation in 1995. 

“A red ribbon with two yellow vertical lines was added to represent the colours of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the red triangular badge worn on the battle-dress shoulders of the liberating soldiers of Task Force 135. We are presenting Guernsey’s children with a piece of history, and we hope it unlocks conversations about this important milestone and what is represents for our community.”

For anyone interested in seeing a real, original Liberation medal, Guernseyman John Bourgaize, has kindly lent his medal to the Guernsey Museum. It will be displayed at Candie Museum along with other anniversary badges and medals as part of a special exhibition for the 80th anniversary.

As Liberation Day gets closer, Roland Duquemin, an occupation survivor who was 7-years-old when the German forces took control of the island, sat down with Express to talk through his experiences, which you can read about HERE.

You can also read about the experiences of Jill Chubb, a deportee who was sent to Biberach, leaving the island just after her third birthday, HERE. 

More to come…

Tomorrow, Express will also bring you the story of Pamela Masterman, an evacuee who spent time in Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester, and Fulham, as she approaches her 88th birthday.