What was it like to stand in Liberation Square as British soldiers came to free Jersey after five years of occupation? And what is it like to revisit that moment – alongside your daughter – every year?
Islander David Perchard knows the answer.
The 85-year-old sat down with Express to talk about his memories of the Occupation – and to reflect on both some of the light and some of the darkness in the years since.
Aged five, David stood in front of the Pomme d’Or with his mother, watching as Jersey was liberated.
And since taking up the clarinet as an adult, he has been taking part in celebrations with La Ronde Concert Band – a mainstay of the island’s annual Liberation Day ceremony.
His daughter Alice has now also joined the band.
“If you fancy playing an instrument, have a go,” said David.
“It’s so important for your future wellbeing.”
David also reflected on the impact of the war both on his family during the Occupation and on those who fought in the war.
He said: “You didn’t go anywhere, you stayed in your garden at home, so you certainly didn’t go on the beaches or anything like that.”
It was in his teens that David came to understand the gravity of the war and the Holocaust, he said.
David has previously shared some of his wartime recollections with Express.
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