Guernsey's New Militia Museum

The newly refurbished Royal Guernsey Militia Museum in Castle Cornet was opened on the 24th May, 2011 by the new Lieutenant Governor, Air Marshal Peter Walker CB, CBE. More

Short Courses in Jersey

In a series of short courses at Highlands College, starting in May and June 2011, Group member Ian Ronayne will be examining key conflicts and their affects on Jersey. More detail here.

It is hoped that in the next few months, fifteen Jerseymen and three Guernseymen who died during the Great War will at last be commemorated in the CWGC’s Debt of Honour Register............

More

Their Past Your Future, which runs from January 2007 to the end of 2009, is led by a partnership of; the Imperial War Museum; Museums, Libraries and Archives England; Northern Ireland Museum Council; National Library of Wales, and; Scottish Museums Council. The programme is supported by the Big Lottery Fund.

Students from Guernsey's Ladies' College are one of the winners of the current competition with their project to research Guernseymen who served in the Canadian forces in the Great War. Supported by information from the Imperial War Museum and material from this site, they have visited London, France, Belgium and Canada. A website records their progress and includes audio and video recorded and edited by them: TPYFLadiesCollege

CAMBRAI - Guernseymen and The Great War - An exhibition to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Cambrai in the First World War during which 40% of men in the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry were either killed, wounded or listed as missing.

It was the end of a generation and the huge losses shocked the island to its core. The exhibition gives an overview of the Great War and focuses on the role of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry within the conflict.

The Channel Islands Great War Study Group has worked with the Museums Service in collating and supplying information for the exhibition.

Journey's End at Elizabeth College

A great success

Pictures of the set

Mike and Rosemarie Thomas have spent many years photographing cemeteries and headstones in Belgium, France and Jersey. They have also researched the personal details of the soldiers found.

Their cooperation is enabling us to add a wealth of detail to the Jersey Roll of Honour.

Family information in both Rolls of Honour has recently been expanded greatly. This work continues.

BBC Radio Guernsey broadcast a live interview from Ploegsteert Memorial to mark the 90th anniversary of the R.G.L.I.s part in the Battle of the Lys.

Listen from here.

11 November 2008 is the ninetieth anniversary of the Armistice, which brought the First World War to an end
The Imperial War Museum is marking this with special displays and events at four of it's locations.

View details

The introduction of the tank is shown in two videos:

Tanks - The Wonder Weapon

A Jersey tank commander - Second Lieutenant Edward Francis de Faye

Jersey is marking the anniversary with a full programme of events including the digging and manning of re-creation of a Great War front-line trench.

This Channel TV clip shows the opening moves. Full videos now online

Commemorating in Jersey the 90th Anniversary of the end of the Great War - Photographs

Non Commemoration News

Captain Alwin Claydon Bailey and Private Albert Warne have now been accepted for commemoration by the CWGC and that we have approached them a second time with more evidence to do likewise for Able Seaman John Helman. Liz Walton has discovered that Helman went into the Brompton Hospital/Sanatorium a few days after his discharge from the Navy!

Gunner Yves Blaise, buried at Foulon in Guernsey, is now properly commemorated by the CWGC. Previously, they had mistakenly commemorated his brother Emile.

Commencing in late-January 2011, the CIGWSG is starting to collect a range of data that will become the evidence required by the UK Ministry of Defence and the CWGC to enable those organisations to accept that an individual should be recognised.

The men are as follows:

Jerseymen: Walter Cheney, Alfred Poingdestre, Thomas Ounan, Walter Orange, Harold Mutton, Edward Syvret, Thomas Whittle, William Turner, Auguste Jouanne, Charles Pirouet, Cubitt Rundle, Wilfred Le Breton, John Vibert, John (Jack) Ellis and Joseph Lihou.

Guernseymen: John William Helman, Ira Louis Le Messurier, Joseph Lihou and William John Le Noury. Several others are being considered for submission.

Is your ancestor’s name on the list, and do you have any of his old documents that could be copied and used as part of the evidence? The Group would welcome hearing from you and invites you to get in touch using our contact form.

An Old Victorian and a member of Jersey’s Militia who served as a member of the Australian Imperial Forces during the Great War, Sergeant Chester Cecil Church is believed to be one of the (approximately) 400 men whose remains have recently been discovered in a mass grave at Pigeon Wood, Fromelles that was originally dug by the Germans after the Battle of Fromelles on 19th/20th July, 1916. The remains of these men are currently being disinterred, and will be subject to DNA analysis in the hope that some men can be identified. A new cemetery is being constructed for their re-interment which will take place in 2010. It is not currently known whether Chester Church had any relatives.

'Ours'. The Jersey Pals in the first World War

After five years of research, Study Group member Ian Ronayne has produced an account of the 300+ men who formed the Jersey Overseas Contingent (the “Jersey Pals”), and who left the Island to serve with the Royal Irish Rifles, and later, of the survivors who continued with the Hampshire Regiment. Ian’s efforts has ensured that the story of the “Jersey Pals” no longer runs the risk of being forgotten by modern-day Islanders, and his work fills a major gap in the published history of 20th Century Jersey.

Published in August, 2009, “Ours” is the first book ever written that deals with Jersey and the Great War.

http://www.thejerseypals.com

The new Regimental Museum of the Royal Guernsey Light Infantry opened its doors to the public on Monday 6th July 2009. The opening ceremony was performed by the Earl and Countess of Wessex as part of their two day visit to the Bailiwick.

picture gallery