A new book by a Jersey historian is set to reveal the tragic story behind one of the Island’s most distinctive Occupation landmarks – the Wooden-Cross War Cemetery in Howard Davis Park.
The cemetery in Howard Davis Park contains the graves and commemorations of men who died after the sinking of Royal Navy cruiser HMS Charybdis and destroyer HMS Limbourne off the coast of Brittany in October 1943.
More than 500 men were killed when the two vessels were ambushed by German torpedo boats during an attempt to intercept an enemy merchant vessel.
In the weeks that followed, the bodies of 38 of those killed were washed ashore around Jersey.
With local civilian cemeteries unable to accommodate the large number of military burials, the Island’s authorities established a dedicated military plot in Howard Davis Park.
The wooden crosses that marked the graves became a striking reminder of the human cost of the war and of Jersey’s links to Britain during the German Occupation.
But the story of the men buried there is one that has remained relatively little known.
Ian Ronayne’s new book, On Sorrowful Tides, traces the final mission of Charybdis, the loss of both ships and the fate of those whose bodies were carried to the Channel Islands.
It also explores the anguish suffered by the families left behind.
German radio broadcasts falsely claimed that survivors of the sinking had reached France, leaving hundreds of Royal Navy families facing months of uncertainty over whether their loved ones were alive.
“It was this awful human side to the affair that really drew me to the story of HMS Charybdis and her loss with HMS Limbourne in 1943,” Mr Ronayne said.
“I just can’t imagine what those families went through as they tried to establish the fate of a husband, father, brother or son.”
The historian said his interest in the story was also sparked by the graves in Howard Davis Park.
“There was also a longstanding curiosity about the Howard Davis Park graves, with their unusual wooden markers and the former presence of American military personnel among the rows,” he said.
“If I, as a military historian, had questions about the graves, I felt sure others might be equally unaware of the context and uncertain about the identities of the men buried – or formally commemorated – there.”
Mr Ronayne said he hoped the book would help answer those questions while ensuring the men were not forgotten.
“I hope this book can answer those questions, tell an enthralling story, and stand as a tribute to all those who died more than 80 years ago, especially those who still lie under the care of Islanders,” he said.
The book was officially launched at the Jersey War Tunnels on Friday.
It will also be available from local bookshops and online through Amazon and occupationbooks.com.
