UK Prime Minister meets Phylis le Druillenec in Downing Street

FAMILIES of four Islanders went to Downing Street yesterday to see their relatives celebrated as ‘Heroes of the Holocaust’ by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The courage and sacrifice of Albert Bédane, Harold Le Druillenec, Ivy Forster and Louisa Gould was marked at the ceremony, and their survivors were given silver medals inscribed ‘In the service of humanity’.

Mr Le Druillenec’s widow Phyllis (100) made the trip to Downing Street to collect the medal herself, and Mr Bédane’s relatives, who attended from Canada, have given their medal to the people of Jersey for display at the Maritime Museum.

Mr Bédane has been recognised by the Israeli government with their highest holocaust honour, ‘Righteous Among Nations’, for sheltering a Jewish woman, a French prisoner of war and three escaped Russian slave workers, and Mr Le Druillenec and his sisters Mrs Forster and Mrs Gould helped to shelter two escaped Russian slave workers. Mrs Gould was caught and murdered by the Nazis in the gas chambers at Ravensbrueck and Mr Le Druillenec was the only British survivor of Belsen when it was liberated by the Allies.