THE moment a defaced red ensign was hoisted by the St Helier Yacht Club – in recognition of its efforts to evacuate British troops from St Malo during World War Two – was re-enacted this afternoon.
The ensign was awarded to the club as a battle honour in 1952 by British Admiralty, for helping to rescue soldiers from the French port in the summer of 1940 as the German forces advanced.
In addition to the ensign, the club also altered its burgee by adding the St Helier crossed axes on a blue shield. The new colours were hoisted at a ceremony at the clubhouse on the 27 September 1952.
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the ceremony, a re-enactment of the hoisting of the ensign took place this afternoon – with the help of Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae and three of the club’s former cadets who were present at the original event.
One of the former cadets, Eve Battrick, said: ‘Of course, the brave ones [were those] who left to go to St Malo to help evacuate the people fleeing from the Germans. They did a very good job and this was their reward.’
St Helier Yacht Club commodore Rhys Perkins said: ‘One of the things which the governor [former Lieutenant-Governor Sir Edward Grasett] said when he first hoisted our defaced red ensign in 1952, was how important it was that this very significant event should be recorded and repeated.’
