Frank Le Villio was 19 when he was arrested in Jersey by the Germans in 1944 for taking a German soldier’s motorcycle on a thrill-seeking ride.
He was charged with ‘military larceny’ and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment in France, before being deported to a concentration camp in Germany, which his family have always understood to be Bergen-Belsen.
Mr Le Villio survived the ordeal, but died of tuberculosis aged 21, one year after he returned to the UK to live with his aunt in Nottingham.
Although Mr Le Villio’s family in Jersey were aware he was buried in the city, they went more than seven decades without knowing the location of his grave.
However, this month, historian and former Jersey resident Stanley Keiller tracked down Mr Le Villio’s final resting place to the cemetery of St Cyprian’s Church in Nottingham.
Mr Keiller said the body of Mr Le Villio lies in a pauper’s grave – an anonymous grave containing a dozen other coffins.
Now, the cousin of Mr Le Villio, Islander Stan Hockley, has spoken of his hope that his relative’s body will be brought back to Jersey.
Mr Hockley said: ‘We are trying very hard to repatriate Frank’s body and get him back to Jersey.
‘I will be absolutely delighted if it happens. I know the Constable of St Saviour, Sadie Le Sueur-Rennard, is looking into it and Simon Crowcroft, the Constable of St Helier, is involved as well.’
Full interview in Saturday’s JEP.
