The Jersey branch of the Royal British Legion is hoping to be able to tell the full story of the contingent – a group of more than 300 semi-professional militiamen whose role was to defend the Island from attack.
This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the end of the war and despite the general esteem in which the Jersey Contingent is held, few of the details of their story are known.
Tim Daniels, chairman of the Jersey branch of the Royal British Legion, said: ‘It is a story of great bravery, heroism and tragedy.
‘Yet we only know parts of it and we are desperately hoping for family members to come forward so that
the lives of those in the Jersey Contingent, and the role they played in WW1, are rightly remembered.’
In 1916, hundreds of Islanders responded to an appeal from London and volunteered to fight as a formed body overseas – the first time the Jersey Militia had fought overseas since it was formed in the 13th century. Through their service, members of the Jersey Contingent were awarded a string of military medals and a monument to them was erected in the French village of Guillemot in 2016.
Historian Ian Ronayne said: ‘The story is fascinating, but not without controversy.
‘The contingent was left to dwindle on the front, with no organised effort by Jersey’s government at the time to reinforce or replenish their numbers, which condemned them to fade away.
‘Despite this, on the battlefield the Jersey Contingent excelled, winning an extraordinary haul of bravery awards.
‘The 300 fought at the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles of WW1, and the Battle of Ypres, where they claimed several military medals.’
The Royal British Legion, with support from Jersey Plants Direct, is hoping that the story of these men has been passed on to surviving family members, who will be able to recount them as part of a film to mark the end of the First World War.
Surviving family members of the Jersey Contingent can contact Martyn White by emailing martyn@freedom.media with details.
