10/05/2026
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1362811902560781&set=a.557854239723222
Last year I had the privilege of interviewing Dave Isherwood with his childhood memories of the occupation of Jersey.
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF THE OCCUPATION BY DAVE ISHERWOOD
The German Occupation of Jersey (1940–1945) reshaped daily life across the Island, restricting freedoms and leaving a lasting imprint on individuals and communities. While Liberation Day offers an important moment of collective remembrance, some of the most powerful insights into this period come from personal voices — particularly those of children who experienced the Occupation firsthand.
In July last year, the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive recorded an oral history interview with Dave Isherwood, who grew up in St Helier during the Occupation. Now in his nineties, Dave reflects on childhood experiences shaped by scarcity, adaptation, and resilience. His memories include finding fuel to heat the family home during the bitter winter of 1941, navigating everyday shortages, and acts of youthful ingenuity that offered brief moments of agency under German rule.
Recorded in the Société’s Members’ Room and guided by historian Sue Gorin, this interview forms part of the Société’s permanent archival collection. As a spoken memoir, it preserves not only facts, but tone, humour, and emotion — offering listeners a deeply human perspective on life under occupation.
📖 Read the full article here: https://societe.je/crossing-the-firing-range-childhood-memoirs-of-the-occupation/
🎧 Listen to the digital recording on our online catalogue here: https://collections.societe.je/archive/oral-history/oralhistory-occupation-isherwood?
With sincere thanks to Dave and Colin Isherwood for sharing these memories, and to all involved in recording and preserving this important testimony.
Photographs: Max Le Feuvre, Photographic Archive Assistant
Recording & article: Rochelle Merhet, Photographic Archivist
