The Occupation and Liberation of the island during the Second World War and the royal visit to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Liberation are the subjects of the first set of stamps to be issued by Sark.
On 23rd June 1940, when it became obvious that the Channel Islands would be occupied by the advancing German forces, the Dame of Sark, Sibyl Hathaway, held a meeting at the Island Hall where she told residents that boats to England would be provided for anyone who wished to leave. She declared that she, her husband Robert and daughter Douce would be staying. “I am not promising you that it will be easy,” she said. “We may be hungry, but we will always have our cattle and crops, our gardens, a few pigs, our sheep and rabbits.”
A few English residents left but all of the Sark-born people decided to stay. Together they endured almost five years under German rule; times of hardship, hunger and fear. 62 Sark people, including young children, were deported between 1942 and 1943 and spent the rest of the war away from their island home in camps in Germany.
The island was liberated on May 10th, 1945, a day later than Jersey and Guernsey, and over the next few weeks the deportees were brought home. Liberation Day is marked on Sark every year but for this, the 80th anniversary of Freedom From Occupation, there were some extra special celebrations. Events included a cavalcade, a street party and a visit by HRH the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
Those Sark residents who were here during the Occupation had some private time with the Royal Couple to share some of their memories of the War and the very first Liberation Day.
