The service is held in the grounds of the Westmount crematorium each year on Liberation Day in memory on the roughly 16,000 prisoners of war and civilians who suffered at the hands of the Germans.
They included Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Spanish Republicans, French, North Africans, Poles, French, Jews and Belgians who were forced to work to turn the Channel Islands into fortresses as part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall network of fortifications.
It is believed that 101 of these labourers died in Jersey, with the victims numbering 75 Soviet citizens, nine Spanish Republicans, five Poles, six Algerians, five from France and one of unknown nationality.
Ceremony organiser Gary Font, son of Spanish Republican forced worker Francisco Font, said: ‘In light of the current circumstances, and as public health and safety are paramount to preventing the spread of this dreadful virus, it would not be advisable to hold the annual commemoration.
‘Instead of gathering together at Westmount as they have done since 1960, the families of the forced workers who made Jersey their home after the Liberation will be remembering them at home.
‘Rather than rearrange the ceremony to later in the year when hopefully the restrictions on public gatherings will be lifted, we shall wait until 2021 to make the 76th anniversary of the Liberation a very extra-special event.’
Many other events for Liberation 75, including the ceremony and re-enactment at Liberation Square and the party at the Weighbridge, have also been cancelled.
