Ruth and Jean Mossop were teenagers in Jersey throughout the Occupation, and although their memories of the few days surrounding Liberation are hazy, both clearly remember going on board the ship to welcome the liberating forces.
The girls were 20 and and 19 when the news came on 8 May that Jersey was to be liberated.
Ruth sat on the sea wall until one o’clock in the morning waiting for the boats to arrive.
‘I gave up and went to bed and they arrived at about five,’ said Ruth yesterday.
Now 80 and 79, Ruth Lewis and Jean Mourant were reminded of their joy on 9 May 1945 this week as they enjoyed lunch with Force 135 veteran Brian Jones and his wife, Celia.
The sisters met Brian when they rowed out to HMS Cosby as Jersey celebrated its new-found freedom 60 years ago.
‘We found a rowing boat in the harbour,’ said Ruth.
‘Everybody was doing it.
They were in rubber rafts and rowing boats and I don’t think we stopped to think.
I was with our sister, Nora, and four lads.
I remember I did quite a bit of the rowing!’ Brian remembers watching the Island’s young people flock towards the ship.
‘I was bosun’s mate on the morning watch and we had all these youngsters coming out to us,’ he said.
‘We hadn’t been told not to, so we didn’t ask – we just put a scrambling net out and they all climbed aboard.
We took them downstairs to have our breakfast.’ Both sisters can still remember that smell of bacon – something they hadn’t eaten in years.
