Tapestry Overview

While the twelve panels of the tapestry can be seen as individual pictures, they are best regarded as a whole as certain themes run through them such as the vivid skies representing the war beyond the horizon, and the family (the mother, son, daughter and baby) representing the civilian experience.

The first panel, Outbreak of War, was made bg the Parish of Trinity and illustrates the situation in 1939 and early 1940.

The Parish of Grouville produced the second panel which features the events of early July 1940 when the Occupation of the island began.

The Parish of St.Helier was responsible for the third tapestry which highlights the Restrictions such as identity cards, curfew and censonship enforced on the islanders by the occupying forces.

Stitchers from the Parish of St.Peter created the fourth tapestry which shows how Transport on the island was affected.

The parishioners of St.Saviour worked on the fifth panel, the theme of which is Everyday Needs.

The restrictions imposed by the Germans meant that life at School and work had to chang. These changes are the subject of the sixth panel which was created by the Parish of St.Lawrence.

Despite the Occupation, islanders still enjoyed a varied Social Life and this is the subject of the seventh panel made by the Parish of St.Ouen.

Throughout the Occupation, the head of the civil Government in the island was the Bailiff, Alexander Coutanche. It was a team from his parish, St Brelade, that worked on the eighth panel.

Those islanders who were Sent Overseas to internment camps, prison camps and concentration camps are commemorated in the ninth panel made by the Parish of St.Mary.

Following the invasion of Nonmandy in June 1944, many islanders felt cut off. The tenth panel, stitched in the Parish of St.John, is called By-Passed.

The Parish of St.Martin produced the eleventh panel which highlights the important role played by the Red Cross especially in the last months of the Occupation.

Liberation, the twelth panel, was made by the Parish of St.Clement and celebrates the arrival of the men of Task Force 135 to end 1,773 days of Occupation.