- Contributed byÌý
- Guernseymuseum
- People in story:Ìý
- Donald Board, Margaret Le Cras
- Location of story:Ìý
- Guernsey
- Background to story:Ìý
- Civilian
- Article ID:Ìý
- A5821427
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 20 September 2005
Mr Donald Board interviewed by Margaret le Cras.
Edited transcript of tape recording of the interview
Mr Board. I was working. The firm I was working with was called Vandenbergs and Jurgens, Limited, they were the Stork margarine, Blue Band, Cookeen, Echo, agents here, and in Jersey, and that was my firm. Eventually, they closed down, they had to. They had been asked by the States to build up stocks of Margarine in case of the war, they could see it coming, and so our firm rented a cold store at Timmers .
I………. At the Forest
Mr Board It was empty sometimes, during parts of the year, and we were able to rent that and build up stocks, until a cold store was built adjoining the slaughter house and the stocks were moved down to there.
I………. How much did they have? How long would it have lasted? Would it have lasted weeks or months?
Mr Board. It would have lasted some months, I would think, but anyhow the point is the firm wrote over and wanted the States to undertake this stock but they wouldn’t give any undertaking so they said that it would all have to be sent back to the mainland. And so on the day of the air raid, the German air raid, we’d been all day, and I’d been helping as well, loading up the lorries, taking it down to the boat, and the boat had just gone out of the harbour, I think it was the Haslemere, a cargo ship, had just gone out of the harbour, and a few hours later it was the German air raid. After that, four or five firms on the island, big firms, like Pickfalls, Thoumines, Le Riche, and that, there were five of them who said if we’d have known we would have bought the lot between us. Anyhow, the firm closed down.
© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.