Lesson in forgiveness after horrors of war

GILLIAN Mawson’s article related to her new book about Guernsey evacuees (Yorkshire Post, April 24) put the spotlight on a remarkable island.

It was in 1968 that I first visited Guernsey to tour the then main island industry, tomato-growing. Guernsey Toms was the trademark and they were sold throughout Yorkshire, having travelled through the night by boat and train.

Since that visit my family have visited the island nearly 50 times and we have become friends with folks like “Chipper” and Rita Bougard and Molly Le Garffe, who lived under German occupation rule, and Bert Elliott, who was one of those evacuees mentioned in the book.

Our visits to the Channel 
Islands have led to many friendships and I accepted an invitation to share the May 9 Liberation Day celebrations and in the evening take part in the annual Proms Night in St James Concert Hall, the equivalent to our Albert Hall.

They welcomed a “Barnsley lad” and wanted to know about the town and Yorkshire life and personalities.

I also joined prayer groups at Les Cotils Christian Centre, where one night the leader said: “We will pray for the forgiveness of our enemies.”

Unknown to everyone in the group, meeting in the room below were 30 visitors from Biberach, southern Germany, where hundreds of residents of Guernsey were taken to an internment camp.

The following night the Germans joined the prayer group and worship was shared. They were visiting the island for the liberation celebrations.

My final message at that Proms Night was that in a world where there seems to be more enemies than friends, the people of Guernsey have set an example to the world by forgiving their former invaders and enemies and enjoying what wonderful things life still has to offer.