THE son of a Royal Navy Lieutenant in charge of the first boat to arrive in Jersey as part of the liberating forces 63 years ago has donated his father’s memoirs to Jersey Archive.

Naval Lieutenant Charles Arthur Sanders was in charge of the LCI(L) 130, which was the first vessel to enter St Helier Harbour on 9 May 1945, and the collection includes a copy of a letter written to his wife Winifred about his part in the operation to liberate the Channel Islands. It also includes a personal account written after the war about the Liberation.

The collection features photographs of the ship, Lt Sanders and his troops and some pictures of the occupying forces.

Lt Sanders’s son Paul donated the pictures and said that he was delighted that the records were in their rightful place in the Island with Jersey Heritage. Extracts include reports of how his father was surprised on entering St Helier Harbour to be greeted by crowds of cheering people. ‘We had expected the Harbour to be sealed off from the general public and we were totally unprepared for such a heart-warming and enthusiastic reception,’ he wrote, adding: ‘Walking alone to the Pomme d’Or was full of hazards, with girls dashing across the street to kiss you.’

He finishes the account by saying: ‘My ship’s company had the time of their lives, particularly the unmarried ones, but on the whole behaved admirably in a situation, which would have turned any young man’s head.’

Ironically, an encounter that day did lead to marriage – but not for another 60 years. A group picture includes Sub-Lt Jimmy Cooper who in 2004 married a Jersey woman he met by chance on Liberation Day. Nan Le Ruez was at that time engaged to her future husband Alfred du Feu and it was many years after his death, that she and Sub-Lt Cooper, met and subsequently married. They now live in Spalding.

Archivist Stuart Nicolle said that the documents could be ordered and viewed at the archive. He added: ‘The collection is a fascinating account of the Liberation from the point of view of one of the liberators. It is marvellous that Mr Sanders has decided to donate it to Jersey Heritage and it will be extremely interesting for Occupation researchers to study.’

The documents have been fully catalogued and scanned and placed in Jersey Archive’s strong rooms to ensure their long-term preservation.

• If anyone knows the names of the two unknown officers in the pictures, please e-mail sleruez@jerseyeveningpost.com or use the comment box below.