I dedicate this work to my late mother, Muriel, and my late aunt and godmother,

Evelyn, who would have been so pleased to share their treasured political
prisoner autographs.

Copyright Wendy Janvrin-Tipping

The right of Wendy Janvrin-Tipping to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
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may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84963 863 0

www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2015)
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Acknowledgments

My first vote of thanks must go to Ann Amy for reminding me to bring my

occupation memorabilia to the Jersey Family History Society meeting.
Secondly, among the many people who looked at the collection that evening,
was Sue Hardy to whom I am grateful for suggesting that I write this book.
My sincere thanks must go to the members of the Jersey Family History
Society and the Channel Islands Occupation Society who gave me contact
names of people who proved invaluable to my research.
Special thanks to my uncle Allan Costard, Michael Neil, Peter Gray, Joyce
Gilbert, Desmond McLinton, Stanley Keiller and Eric Walker for talking to me
about their own past and that of their families. Sqn Ldr Francis "Jock" Harris for
his invaluable insight into the prison routines, also to Graham Taylor, who
escaped with my uncle Herbert and telephoned me after my talk to the
Occupation Society.
I should also like to thank the following people for their help and
encouragement with the project:
Chris Addy, former archivist of Jersey War Tunnels.
Gareth Syvret, archivist of Socit Jersiaise Photographic Archive.
Staff of the Jersey Archive.
Dr Gilly Carr of Cambridge University.
Paul Burnal, President of the Channel Islands Occupation Society.
Jersey War Tunnels for kind permission to use images in their collection
For translation of the French passage in Claude Cahuns diary, I must offer
my thanks to Marie-Louise Backhurst and Richard Merhet.
Last, but not least, thank you Andy and Gemma Tipping for keeping me going!

Introduction

The inspiration for my research into the wartime occupation of Jersey and my
familys part in it has come from stories told me by my mother, Muriel Costard
and her sister, Evelyn Janvrin. Two books of autographs collected by the sisters
during their term of imprisonment as Offenders against the occupying
authorities more commonly known as Political Prisoners have fascinated
me since early childhood. Not long before their arrest, Muriel and Evelyns
brother Herbert had escaped to France in a small boat; another brother, Allan,
was planning an escape, and radio receivers, crystal sets and a gun were
discovered at the family home all resulting in almost the entire family ending
up in prison!
Entries in the two autograph books include artwork, signatures, stories and
poems by family, friends and fellow political prisoners, including a Ukranian, a
young Jersey girl sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and artists and writers
Lucy Schwab and her step-sister Suzanne Mulherbe noms de plume Claude
Cahun and Marcel Moore, but known to the other prisoners simply as The
French Ladies. Muriels book also contains the signatures of the Master and
First Mate of the Red Cross ship Vega as well as signatures of American
prisoners of war brought to Jersey after the battle for St Malo.
Having been lovingly preserved over the years, my mothers autograph book
was one of her most treasured possessions. All through my childhood I
remember the book living in the third drawer of the sideboard in a cardboard
box with the family photos. My aunt made me a gift of her own book when she
saw me take such an interest in the contents of my late mothers. I am deeply
grateful to Auntie for the many hours we spent discussing the dark days of the
Occupation.
There are many stories woven into the pages of these two little books; some
concern individuals who are well-known occupation characters, local heroes,
perhaps, who played their part in these most difficult times, the risks they took
and the outcome of their actions now engrained in our Island history.
Many diverse characters appear, but the qualities that link all those
imprisoned in 1944 are without doubt their resilience, their cheerfulness and
their absolute belief that the Allies would win the war Any Day Now.
As Frank Keiller, famous prison escapee, remarked about that final winter:
We had no idea how long the war would last or when we would be
free, but I can never remember feeling depressed or losing hope.1
and in Claude Cahuns diary:
1

Keiller, F Prison Without Bars, Wiltshire, 2000.

9

We wrote on our cell walls the Anglo-Jerriais prisoners favourite

slogan Any Minute Now.2

The front cover of Muriels and Evelyns autograph books.

Jersey Archive, Lucy Schwob Prison Diary, JHT (1995) 00045/7/2.

10

Chapter One
Peace Shattered
Saturday, June 10th 1939 dawned a beautiful summers day; a special day
indeed for Evelyn Costard and George Janvrin as they were married in All
Saints Church on The Parade, St Helier. Evelyn was just 20 years old and
George 22. The wedding was a quiet, family affair with a reception at the brides
home as was the tradition in those days. Evelyn, in just three weeks, had made
her own wedding dress as well as those for her mother and the three
bridesmaids, her younger sisters Muriel and Kathleen, and a friend of the family
named Rhona Billet, whose father, George, worked on the mail boats. The
Billets home was in Southampton and the family enjoyed several holidays in
Jersey, having made friends with Georges father who worked on the harbour as
a crane driver. Pop (as Evelyns father was affectionately known) had bought a
new suit for the occasion from The Fifty Shilling Tailor in St Helier.
The happy couple made their home in two rooms with Georges parents at
Charlton House, First Tower, returning to work on the following Monday no
exotic honeymoon in the West Indies for them! On the first Sunday afternoon of
their married life they decided to go for a walk; a romantic thought, if only the
parents in law hadnt decided to go with them! Nevertheless, the future looked
promising for a young married couple in the balmy summer of 1939.
Less than three months later, on September 3rd war with Germany was
declared. Evelyn clearly remembered sitting on the steps of the conservatory at
Charlton House, listening to the news on the wireless. Straight away George
decided to join up, his elder brother John, (always Jack, later to marry Muriel
and become my father), was already a regular soldier serving with the Cameron
Highlanders. Whilst Georges parents and Evelyn knew better than to try to
dissuade him, his employers wife was beside herself when she heard of his
intentions. Mrs Augustine Roberts, the wife of the owner of Roberts
Tobacconists, a little shop in Charing Cross, St Helier, had been Georges
primary school teacher before her marriage. Later he became a travelling
salesman for the business and almost like a son to her. Now the only consolation
she had was the thought that he wouldnt pass the physical examination
necessary for acceptance to the forces. Poor Mrs Roberts was totally devastated
when he returned later that day to tell her that he would be leaving in three days
time. Her face ashen, she retired to the back room and lay on the couch. That
evening, Evelyn and George entertained their two young friends Iris Moyse and
her boyfriend to supper at Charlton House. The conversation somehow turned to
death and Evelyn was adamant that under no circumstances could she ever bring
herself to lay out a dead body. The very next day she was performing precisely
this task for Mrs Roberts (who incidentally had a severe heart condition).

11