A copy of Britain’s top-secret plans to free the Channel Islands was purchased at auction by the Jersey War Tunnels last week for over three-times its guide price.
The “extraordinary and rare” document contained details of ‘Operation Nestegg’, which was the codename for the British forces’ mission to liberate Guernsey and Jersey “as nearly simultaneously as possible” in May 1945.
Previously the property of Royal Naval sub-lieutenant Walter Page, it was discovered in a cardboard box 80 years after the Occupation.
It went under the hammer at the Hansons Auctioneers’ sale in Derby last week.
Described as “extraordinary and rare”, it had a guide price of £800 to £1,200.
It was ultimately sold for £3,800 – or £4,780 including auction fees.
Jersey War Tunnels yesterday confirmed the “successful acquisition” of the “exceptionally rare” document.
The museum team also purchased three original D-Day Landing Craft maps for Juno Beach, Gold Beach, and Sword Beach.
In a statement, Jersey War Tunnels said: “These purchases represent the beginning of a significant acquisitions program to enrich and broaden the scope of the museum’s wartime collection.
“While copies of the Operation Nestegg document are already held in Jersey, this newly acquired example is an original wartime copy, carrying the immediacy and authenticity of a document that was part of the actual Allied planning process, and is dated November 1944.”
Jersey War Tunnels owner Lance Trevellyan added: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured these exceptional items, which are of huge historical significance both to Jersey and to the wider story of the Second World War.
“Bringing the Operation Nestegg document and the D-Day maps home to the Channel Islands ensures they are preserved for future generations, rather than disappearing into private collections.
“Our mission has always been to protect and share the stories of the Occupation and Liberation, and acquisitions like these enhance our mission to place Jersey firmly on the map as a destination for world- class WWII history.”
Jersey War Tunnels also yesterday announced plans for a new museum at the site to display previously unseen archive stock and artefacts, and house current and future acquisitions.
It will aim to expand the attraction’s collection to include wartime off-island collectibles and artefacts from the wider World War Two conflicts.
Plans and supporting documents are currently being finalised for submission to the Planning Department and for stakeholder consultation, according to Jersey War Tunnels.