Detail may have gone in some cases, but the glints in the eyes of the octogenarians who have travelled to the Island to mark the momentous occasion belied the ageing process.
A total of 63 are ready today to start celebrating the 60th anniversary of the day they liberated Islanders from German rule.
They have arrived from all over the UK to meet old colleagues and join in the weekend events.
Some of the veterans stayed in Jersey for a long time and others for only days after the end of hostilities, but the day of Liberation has stayed clearly with them all.
Leading wireman William McRitchie, from Morecambe, recalls being a solitary figure on the foredeck of his minesweeper which was flooded with people when she docked in St Helier.
He said that the minesweepers had to ensure that the sea was safe for the rest of the forces to land.
‘I was handing out cigarettes, soap, biscuits, sweets and chocolate.
I gave away my rations, but I was delighted to give it to the people.
It was fantastic,’ he said.
He recalled being dressed in his best uniform, and when asked whether he received a warm welcome from the girls of the Island, his face beamed and he replied: ‘Oh yes!’ Other early arrivals were Royal Navy signals operator Bob Collins, from Birmingham, and able seaman Andy Ashworth, who were on board HMS Cosby.
‘The people were very welcoming and it was great to be here.
However, on the way I was seasick because we were diverted from the North Atlantic convoys at great speed,’ said Mr Collins.
Mr Ashworth recounted seeing a ‘gorgeous’ redhead as they arrived.
‘I noted her address down and went to court her later, carrying beans and soap.
But when I got there, half the ship’s company were already there,’ he said laughing.
He added that the arrival in the Island was less dramatic than had been expected.
‘There wasn’t a shot fired,’ he said.
It was not so comfortable for Royal Engineers driver Godfrey Roberts, from Wrexham, because the then 18-year-old faced the prospect of having to blow up a German gun position, having got into St Aubin’s Bay.
‘The gunner was in the bunker and he would not accept that Hitler had surrendered, so we had to back off and wait until the message had got through,’ he said.
Major George Marsden of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was among the headquarters staff in the Island.
He stayed at Victoria College for the best part of two years and he and his wife have been regular visitors since.
Although not part of Force 135 itself, RASC driver Denis Casey ended up serving in Jersey – having overslept on the mailboat on his way to Guernsey some months after the war ended.
He was put to work by the military because they were short of drivers, and he met and ended up marrying Jersey girl Margaret Unwin, from St Peter.
The printer, who moved to Bristol in the 1950s, was looking forward to being reunited with former team-mates from Jersey Sylvans FC – including the legendary Graeme Le Maistre – while in the Island.
The veterans and their partners were all looking forward to the weekend ahead, although some expressed doubts about the idea of marching into the Royal Square on Sunday, complaining of legs that might not carry them too far.
But Major Marsden epitomised the spirit of the Force 135 men when the 85-year-old said: ‘When I came for the 40th and 50th anniversaries, we marched in the traditional bowler hats, suits and an umbrella.
I have brought mine and intend to be there in the right dress on Sunday.’
