When Britain declared war on Germany
on 4 August 1914, by constitutional association
the small British Channel Island of Jersey also
entered the conflict. By November 1918, when the
guns finally fell silent, the Island had sent thousands
of its men to serve in forces of Britain and France.
Along with millions of others, they endured the
horrors of this first conflict of the modern industrial
age. By its end, more than a thousand of them had
died, fighting on land, sea and in the air.
Yet the First World War affected the
lives of more than just Jerseys soldiers,
sailors and airmen. Changes in society and technology
in the years leading up to 1914 meant that Islanders
were no longer isolated from the outside world.
This war would directly challenge them as never
before.
Jerseys Great War tells the
important but previously forgotten story of Jersey
and its people between 1914 and 1918. Readers will
learn about the role of the Militia, the Islands
French soldiers, how German POWs came to be in the
Island, the fate of enemy aliens, the
opportunities for women and the impact of the war
on day-to-day lives. And at the heart of the story
is the four year struggle between patriotism and
production, the outcome of which affected the lives
of thousands of Island men and their families to
this day.
About the Author
Ian Ronayne is a Jersey born historian
and author who specialises in military history.
In recent years, Ians interest has turned
to his home island, and its rich historical legacy
arising from centuries of conflict and defence.
His first book, the acclaimed Ours:
The Jersey Pals in the First World War was
published in 2009. It was followed in 2012 by Jersey
War Walks and A Gunners Great
War, along with numerous articles, talks and
guided tours.
Ian lives in Jersey with his family,
and continues a career of historical research, writing
and teaching along with other professional interests.
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