Charles' grandfather was a Polish nobleman, also called Charles, who with his older brother Teofil (Theophile) were involved in the Officers' Uprising of 1831 against the Russian Crown. The Uprising was unsuccessful and like many other noble families, the Izdebski family had their lands confiscated and they fled the country. Many would settle in London and Paris, but a smaller number, who were more radical in their politics, would move onto Jersey. These would include Zeno Swietolawski who would employ Teofil in his printing works, publishing radical literature for other political refugees that had found a home, albeit temporary, in Jersey. Teofil would die from consumption in May 1854, and he was buried at Macpela Cemetery in Jersey's parish of St John, with a group of mourners in attendance that included Zeno and Victor Hugo!

Grandfather Charles would later take up arms to fight the Russians in the Crimea, marry in Jersey, and be the father of four sons. One of them, Vladislav Marcel, was Charles Victor's father, settling in Scotland before moving onto South Africa. It was in South Africa were Charles Victor was born in 1887, and he would be in Kimberley throughout the period of the siege until it was lifted in February 1900. From South Africa, his father would retire to Newton Abbot in Devon. Some period after that, Charles was in Jersey and joined the Militia (possibly in July or August 1903 when he had reached the age of 16), where he spent 10 years. However, the dates cannot be accurately determined and he is not listed in the Jersey Militia Rolls of April 1913. As can be seen from his service records at the National Archive of Australia he was in Queensland in 1916, from where he would enlist.

An insight into the life of the political refugees in Jersey can be found in Philip Stevens' book "Victor Hugo in Jersey" (ISBN 1-86077-203-X).

©Barrie Bertram 2008