The Island was forced to stand alone during the Occupation and its political leaders had to take total responsibility then, said Sir Philip.
The history of Jersey had been shaped by its past and its people – what the Island had achieved was partly due to being forced to look after itself during the Occupation, he told more than 1,000 people at Liberation Square.
He described Hitler as a perverted leader and said Jersey must never forget those who suffered – both Islanders and slave workers – during the Nazis’ five-year occupation of the Channel Islands.
He said: ‘The history of a small nation is both made by, and makes its people.
We are what we are today, in part, because of the searing experience of occupation which forced us to stand on our own two feet and compelled our political leaders, for a time, to take entire responsibility for our affairs.
We should be proud of our achievements and confident in our ability to manage our own affairs today.’
