Concentration camp survivor’s body to be returned to Jersey?

Frank Le Villo was arrested in Jersey by the Germans in 1944 for taking a German soldier’s motorcycle for a ride.

He was charged with ‘military larceny’ and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment in France, before being deported to a concentration camp in Germany.

Now, 70 years on, a memorial service has taken place at Wilford Hill Cemetery in Nottingham, where he was buried, to pay tribute to the Islander.

The service was attended by his cousin, Jersey resident Stan Hockley, as well as the Lord Mayor and Mayoress of Nottingham and historian and former Jersey resident Stanley Keiller, who helped track down the grave.

Mr Le Villo returned to live in the UK with his aunt after the war, but died of tuberculosis aged 21.

Although his family in Jersey were aware he was buried in Nottingham, they went seven decades without knowing the exact location of his final resting place.

‘The funeral directors who buried Frankie in 1946 are still in existence, so a representative from the business came to the service and gave a short speech. They said that their records showed Frankie had a lovely coffin and that flowers were laid when he was buried. That was wonderful news to hear.’

Mr Hockley is hoping his cousin’s body will be repatriated back to Jersey.

‘We know now that there were six others buried with him.

‘A member from the church did a little bit of research and discovered that Frankie was second in a row, so we hope his coffin is on top of another one. If that’s the case, then it could mean we could find Frankie straight away,’ he added.

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