4th May 2016

The Occupation Tapestry is completed

The Occupation Tapestry celebrates the 50th anniversary of Jersey’s liberation at the end of the Second World War. Featuring 12 panels and more than 7.5m stitches, it depicts events that occurred both locally under the German administration, and in the wider world.

The first panel depicts Neville Chamberlain declaring peace in our time as he holds aloft the piece of paper he’d brought back to Britain after his meeting with Hitler, surrounded by images of Jersey’s evacuation and the approach of German forces.

The tapestry, which took 950 locals from each of Jersey’s 12 parishes 30,000 hours to stitch, is housed in the Maritime Museum at St Helier harbour. The last stitch was made by the Lieutenant Governor’s wife, Lady Gene McColl.

 

 

Other events that occured in May

  • 01

    France fails to invade Jersey
    France sent five large ships to St Ouen in an effort to invade Jersey in 1779, but they were spotted before they could land.

  • 02

    Superman is born in Jersey
    Actor Henry Cavill, who went on to play Superman in various film adaptations, was born in Jersey on 5 May 1983.

  • 03

    Measles outbreak at the boys’ home
    Measles infected 35 residents of the Jersey home for boys in what came to be described variously as an “epidemic” or “plague”.

  • 04

    A waiter is arrested for theft
    Samuel White was arrested in St Helier and flown back to the mainland for converting cheques for his own use, and spending the money on rent.