THE TWENTIETH ceremony to remember the thousands of Islanders evacuated and eventually returned to the Channel Islands in June 1945 was “a big success”, according to a woman who left Jersey as a child.
Jean McLaughlin, who was just two years old when she fled in her parents’ arms and later founded the Jersey Evacuees Association in 2005, said the annual event – held on Albert Pier on Sunday – left her “quite emotional” with “a big lump in my throat”.
“It was so lovely to see so many people,” said Mrs McLaughlin, who founded the Jersey Evacuees Association in 2005. “The ceremony was a big success. I was over the moon.”
More than 100 Islanders, including former evacuees, the Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq and Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham, attended the event, which featured performances from La Ronde Concert Band and pupils from St Lawrence School dressed in period clothing.
“It made the event so real,” Mrs McLaughlin said.
Guest speaker and local historian Ian Ronayne addressed the crowd, while representatives from The Salvation Army, the Royal British Legion and the French Consul were also present to pay their respects.
The ceremony:
22/06/25
Picture: GEORGE MARRIOTT
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