Sally Le Brocq

Sally Le Brocq

DOB 28/01/38

Sally lived in the parish of St Clements. Her father was the Solicitor General during the occupation.

She told us of her father coming home one night just before Christmas. He was approached by a German soldier who asked "I have heard you have a custom every Christmas of putting some fruit and nuts in a stocking. Is it true?" Her father replied yes.

"Then please accept this. I have a daughter at home the same age as yours." It was an orange. Sally had never seen one before and was dazzled by its colour.

"My father gave it to me but then had to explain what it was and how you peeled and ate it. I had never seen one before. I can picture it now. It was delicious.

There was a story I was told of the time Germans came to inspect a farm. They had a sow that had not been accounted for so they dressed her in clothes and manhandled her into a bed, drew the curtains. The darkness added a sense of drama. "Our grandmother is ill. Please don't disturb her. They looked everywhere upstairs, tiptoeing around, eventually they peered in the door of the bedroom, satisfied they left.

Once my father and I went for a swim off Pontac slip. We found bags of flour floating around us. We opened one to find it was just the outside that was wet. Ted Le Masurier was contacted and brought his horse and cart and we loaded up what we could.

My mother was delighted and made scones but she left them out to cool and the dog ate them. He was so ill, poor thing."

Sally along with her photographs brought in an object related to the occupation. It was tightly enclosed in aluminium foil. We all looked on in wonder as she slowly peeled back the foil to reveal a Red Cross packet of tea. It had never been opened.

She held it out and we all stared as though she'd unveiled a relic from Tutankhamen's tomb.

This small brown packet was so symbolic, represented much of what the islanders had suffered and how grateful they were to receive the Red Cross parcels.