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Jersey Occupation Tapestry

Part of the Jersey Occupation Tapestry. Part of the Jersey Occupation Tapestry.

The Jersey Occupation tapestry is a commemorative embroideryillustrating the occupation and liberation of Jersey, one of the British Channel Islands, from the Nazi’s during the Second World War (1939-1945). The Channel Islands were the only part of Britain to be occupied during the war. The embroidery was made to celebrate the fiftieth university of the island’s liberation. It is also known as the Occupation tapestry.

The original idea for the embroidery was put forward to the Occupation and Liberation Committee in March 1989. The initial plan was to create a canvas embroidery (sometimes called canvas tapestry) of 2.4 m long and 0.91 m wide.

Eventually there were twelve panels, one for each of the parishes in Jersey. Each panel is 180 by 85 cm in size. The panels were stitched by over three hundred people and include c. 7,500,000 stitches worked in Appletons crewel wool using 1,418 hanks.

Historical accuracy was very important and each parish had its own design - Trinity: Outbreak of War; Grouville: Occupation; St. Helier: Restrictions; St. Peter: Transportation; St. Saviour: Everyday Needs; St. Lawrence: School and Work; St. Quen: Social Life; St. Brelade: Government; St. Mary: Sent Overseas; St. John: By-passed; St. Martin: The Red Cross; St. Clement: Liberation.

All twelve panels were completed by Christmas 1994 and the Tapestry Gallery was opened in 1995. This is located in the Maritime Museum on the New North Quay, St. Helier, Jersey.

See also the TRC Needles entries on Guernsey tapestry andOverlord embroidery.

Digital source (retrieved 9 March 2016).

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 5 June 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Wednesday, 19 April 2017 17:10