It represents the heart of the Guillemont Memorial that stands in the village of the same name on the Somme where the Island’s only dedicated fighting force, the Jersey Contingent of the 7th Irish Rifles, fought in a major battle in September 1916.
The memorial, a traditional Jersey granite standing stone hewn from a quarry on the north coast, was unveiled in 2016 on the 100th anniversary of the battle. This year a party of Island dignitaries, led by the Bailiff Sir William Bailhache, returned to France to remove the heart stone and bring it home to its final resting place in the Royal Square.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony the Bailiff spoke of the symbolism of a plain piece of granite.
‘It reflects that while our men died abroad in the service of their country, their hearts remain in their beloved Island,’ he said.
‘And secondly, the fact that we will be taking the heart back to Jersey reflects that a part of them will remain in our hearts, in the Island, forever.’
Islanders are being invited to join Sir William in Weighbridge Place at 7.15 pmtomorrow/on Tuesday for the short walk to the Royal Square, along the route taken by the Jersey Contingent when it left the Island in March 1915.
The Heart of the Guillemont Memorial will be carried by members of the Jersey Field Squadron led by the Band of the Island of Jersey.
It will lie in waiting in the Royal Court building until it is unveiled on Friday 9 November.
