大象传媒

Edward Rowe, aged sixteen, was on a working party in Alderney during the German Occupation. He was allowed a week off in Guernsey every six months]

It was my turn for a week in Guernsey with three others. When we arrived at the harbour we were told to get on this very large ship. We all thought there is something wrong, its a small boat that goes to Guernsey. Anyway we were shepherded aboard, you don't argue with the Germans!

We were put down in the hold sitting on the floor for the first time. I felt a little scared. There were a lot of foreign workers aboard as well. By now it was getting dark, we seemed to be travelling all night. We ended up, not in Guernsey, but St. Malo in France. We were worried that the Germans had taken us for slaves!

We asked if we could see the Captain and after a while an Officer who could speak English, came to us. We explained our situation. He said there had been a mistake and there was a boat going to Guernsey the next day. We felt relieved at this and asked if we could go ashore to try and find a drink or something to eat. He walked off and came back later with a German soldier carrying a rifle. "You will have to have a guard with you" he said. So we walked up the narrow streets with a guard.

We came to a shop with French chocolate in the window and went in to buy some followed by the German. The shopkeeper gave us some chocolate, but wouldn't take any money, she thought we were English prisoners.

We went into a little caf茅, bought some brandies, we even bought one for the Guard, because he had been all right with us. It seemed a lot better in France than in the Channel Islands.

Eventually we arrived in Guernsey without my more trouble, but with two days of leave gone. On this home leave I met my first girlfriend. We spent a few nice days together, we went to parties that went on all night as we couldn't go home because of the 9.00 p.m. curfew.

My girlfriend didn't want me to go back for another stint in Aldemey because it was so close to Cherbourg and with the war stepping up could be dangerous. I don't know, but I think perhaps the comradeship and the lifestyle we had set up appealed to me, or perhaps I didn't know any better, but I felt I had to keep my job in Alderney. So I returned this time in the little Dutch trawler. This was to be my last six months in Alderney. As a matter of fact we were called back early as the States had decided to give up the Alderney project.

Edward J Rowe

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